Putin to visit China on May 19-20 days after Trump's Beijing summit
Russian President Vladimir Putin will make an official visit to China on May 19-20, the Kremlin announced on Saturday, days after U.S. President Donald Trump concluded his own trip to Beijing. Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping will discuss strengthening their “comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation” and sign a joint declaration, according to a Kremlin statement. The visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation between Russia and China.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will make an official visit to China on May 19-20, the Kremlin confirmed on Saturday, days after U.S. President Donald Trump concluded his own trip to Beijing on May 14-15.
Putin will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss ways to "further strengthen the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation" between Moscow and Beijing, according to a Kremlin statement. The two leaders are expected to sign a joint statement after their talks. Putin is also scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang to discuss economic and trade cooperation.
The visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation between Russia and China, which serves as the foundation for bilateral relations. The Russian leader last visited China in 2025, when he signed several deals with Xi that boosted economic ties in areas such as energy and technology.
Trump's trip to Beijing was the first by a U.S. president in nearly a decade. Trump said he negotiated "fantastic" trade deals, including a commitment for Beijing to purchase 200 Boeing aeroplanes as well as U.S. oil and soybeans. However, China made no formal announcement on any trade deal after Trump's visit, and the details remained vague.
Negotiations to end the fighting in Ukraine, brokered by the United States, have appeared stalled since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran broke out on Feb. 28. Moscow has ruled out a ceasefire or comprehensive negotiations with Ukraine unless Kyiv caves to the Kremlin's maximalist demands. While China has regularly called for talks to end the fighting, it has never condemned Russia for sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022 and presents itself as a neutral party.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday that Russia is "bound to China by ties... that are deeper and stronger than traditional political and military alliances." Lavrov welcomed the U.S.-China summit, stating, "If the agreements reached or to be reached by Beijing and Washington are in the interests of our Chinese friends, we can only be delighted."