Putin Arrives in Beijing for Two-Day Talks With Xi Jinping on Economic Cooperation

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for a two-day visit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, with the Kremlin saying they would discuss economic cooperation and “key international and regional issues.”

AP reported Putin’s plane landed in Beijing where he was greeted by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and an honor guard, as youths in light blue shirts waved Chinese and Russian flags and chanted, “Welcome, welcome, warmly welcome!”

ABC News

In a video address released before his trip, Putin said bilateral ties were at “a truly unprecedented level,” and AP said the visit coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship signed in 2001.

The Washington Post described the backdrop as a relationship that is “days after President Donald Trump’s summit with Xi Jinping,” while also noting that Western officials and analysts said Putin appears to be in one of the weakest positions since he ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

DW said Putin’s visit is on Tuesday, May 19 and Wednesday, May 20, and it cited the Kremlin’s plan for Putin and Xi to sign a statement on building a “multipolar” world order, with “Some 40 documents” to be signed in total.

The Washington Post reported that at a trade exhibition in Harbin, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Trutnev said, “When I saw that we only had honey and crabs, while our friends had drones and robots, I must admit I was a bit upset,” linking the moment to a perceived gap in capabilities between the two countries.

The same article quoted Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Eurasia Russia Center, saying, “Xi is in a very powerful position in the relationship and overall,” and added that “Xi has all the cards.”

Al Jazeera

The Washington Post also said the drone strikes this weekend killed at least three people in the Moscow region and hit the entrance to a key oil refinery, while causing damage in one of the main airports.

AP said Beijing has said it is neutral in the conflict while maintaining trade ties with the Kremlin despite economic and financial sanctions by the U.S. and Europe, and it reported that Putin and Xi plan to discuss “key international and regional issues.”

NBC News framed the visit as Putin seeking reassurance amid an intractable war with Ukraine, and it quoted Putin calling Xi a “dear friend” while saying the Russia-China partnership had reached a “truly unprecedented level.”

DW said the Kremlin planned informal talks “over tea,” where Ushakov said Putin and Xi were expected to discuss the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine and other issues, tying the visit to both regional crises and Russia’s war context.

“Russian President Vladimir Putin has hailed Moscow and Beijing’s deepening ties as a “stabilising” force on the world stage ahead of talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping”

Al Jazeera

The Washington Post reported that Russia is heavily dependent on Chinese purchases of Russian energy and supplies of Chinese components to sustain its war against Ukraine, and it quoted Alexander Gabuev saying, “I don’t think Putin is in a position to tell Xi what to do,” adding that “Xi has all the cards.”

Reuters-linked reporting in the Sri Lanka Guardian interview said China–Russia trade has remained above $200 billion for three consecutive years and that a visa-free policy has stimulated tourism, business exchanges and people-to-people connectivity.

The Washington Post also said Russian oil supplies to China surged 31 percent in the first quarter of 2026, according to Chinese customs data, and it described how sanctions and component flows shape the relationship.

In the Global Times, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said a poll found “87.5 percent of Russian youth and 85.5 percent of Chinese youth view China-Russia relations as friendly,” and he said the visit would “inject vitality” into the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era.