Beijing: Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit China for talks with President Xi Jinping, less than a week after US President Donald Trump concluded his Beijing visit, putting China’s diplomatic balancing act back in sharp focus.
Putin will be in China on Tuesday and Wednesday. According to the Kremlin, the two leaders are expected to discuss economic cooperation as well as key international and regional issues. The visit also coincides with the 25th anniversary of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation, signed in 2001.
The timing of the visit is significant. Trump’s recent talks in Beijing were aimed at stabilising US-China relations, while Putin’s arrival is being seen as an effort to reaffirm Moscow’s long-term strategic partnership with China. Wang Jichen, deputy secretary-general of the Beijing-based Centre for China and Globalisation, said Trump’s visit was about stabilising the world’s most important bilateral relationship, while Putin’s trip is about reassuring a long-term strategic partner.
Xi and Putin have repeatedly projected warmth in their relationship. During Putin’s last China visit in September 2025, Xi called him an “old friend”, while Putin addressed Xi as a “dear friend”. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also visited Beijing in April, where Xi described China-Russia ties as valuable in the current global situation.
China has maintained that it is neutral in the Ukraine conflict, but it has continued trade ties with Russia despite Western sanctions. Beijing has also emerged as Russia’s biggest trading partner and a major buyer of Russian oil and gas. For China, the challenge now is clear: keeping Moscow close while avoiding a fresh breakdown with Washington.