Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to travel to China on May 19 for a two-day visit, shortly after US President Donald Trump's trip to Beijing, the Kremlin announced on Saturday.
Strengthening Strategic Partnership
During the visit, Putin will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss ways to further enhance the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation between Moscow and Beijing, according to a Kremlin statement. The two leaders will exchange views on key international and regional issues and are expected to sign a joint declaration at the conclusion of their talks.
Putin is also scheduled to discuss economic and trade cooperation with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
Context of Trump's Visit
The announcement of Putin's trip comes just after Trump concluded his visit to China on Friday, marking the first visit by a US president in nearly a decade. Despite a grand reception, the visit highlighted unresolved trade and geopolitical tensions, including the Ukraine-Russia conflict and the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Although Trump and Xi discussed the Ukraine conflict and the war with Iran, Trump left without securing a major breakthrough on either issue. Negotiations to end the fighting in Ukraine, brokered by the US, have stalled since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war with Iran on February 28.
Before Trump's arrival in China, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had asked the US leader to raise the matter of stopping the conflict during talks with Xi. Moscow has ruled out a ceasefire or comprehensive negotiations unless Kyiv meets its maximalist demands.
China's Role
China has consistently called for talks to end the conflict but has not condemned Russia for its actions in Ukraine since February 2022, presenting itself as a neutral party. Beijing denies providing weapons or military components to Russia's defense industry, instead blaming Western countries for prolonging the conflict by arming Ukraine.
As the world's top buyer of Russian fossil fuels, China has become Moscow's key economic partner, especially after Western sanctions on Russian oil and gas.
Trade Deals and Diplomatic Tone
Trump left China claiming to have negotiated fantastic trade deals, including a commitment from Beijing to purchase 200 Boeing airplanes, US oil, and soybeans. However, details were vague, and China made no formal announcement on any trade deal.
In contrast to Trump's warm words for Xi, describing him as a great leader and friend, Beijing's response to the summit was more muted.
Russia's top diplomat, Sergey Lavrov, welcomed the China-US summit but emphasized Moscow's warmer ties with Beijing. He stated that if the agreements reached by Beijing and Washington are in the interests of Chinese friends, Russia can only be delighted, but insisted that Russia's ties with China are deeper and stronger than traditional political and military alliances.
