Putin Arrives in Beijing Seeking Power of Siberia-2 Gas Deal With Xi Jinping

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on May 19, 2026, for a two-day state visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, marking Putin’s 25th trip to China and coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship.

The visit is framed around deepening economic and energy cooperation, including progress on the Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline and additional oil export routes, with energy deals topping the agenda.

Al Jazeera

Energy News Beat links the timing to a global energy squeeze, citing the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz that disrupts roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies and noting a tightening global energy market.

It also says Russia’s deliverable spare capacity is constrained, with crude oil production recently averaging around 8.8–9.2 million barrels per day and April 2026 figures showing ~8.8 mb/d down ~460,000 b/d year-on-year, impacted by Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries and infrastructure.

The same source says China is already Russia’s largest energy customer, with China taking approximately 48-51% of Russia’s crude exports and India close behind at ~37-38%, while combined Asia absorbs over 90% of Russian crude.

CNBC reports that Putin is likely seeking concrete pledges on trade and energy during the two-day trip, and it quotes Ed Price saying Putin is sending "a reminder to Americans that, yes, you can come and visit China as much as you like but Russia is closer, and friendlier than you,".

CNBC also frames the Power of Siberia-2 pipeline as a central talking point, with Sergei Guriev telling CNBC that the discussion is about "Power of Siberia 2," which would double Russian pipeline exports to China.

Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera says analysts expect no major shifts from the summit, but it quotes Marina Miron predicting "It’s going to be a deepening of bilateral relations when it comes to economic cooperation" and Oleg Ignatov saying they are "strategic partners" and "I don’t expect that they will go anywhere further."

Al Jazeera adds that China wants access to Russia’s energy resources "at discount," while Russia depends on many of China’s dual-use technologies, specifically for drone production.

RFE/RL similarly emphasizes that there is "not much upside" expected immediately for pipeline gas to China because Power of Siberia-1 is "pretty much full; it was at capacity last year," and the next increase would be with the 12 bcm Far East pipeline starting in 2027.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty says the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies, squeezing China’s energy imports and reinforcing arguments for securing overland pipeline alternatives.

“As Russian President Vladimir Putin travels to China, Moscow's leader will be keen not only to bolster ties with Beijing but also to extract key wins in areas of trade and energy”

CNBC

It adds that Beijing has bought more than $367 billion worth of Russian fossil fuels since the start of the war in Iran, and it says Russia and China signed a memorandum in September 2025 to move forward with a 2,600-kilometer Power of Siberia-2 project from Russia’s northern Yamal Peninsula to China via eastern Mongolia.

The Guardian reports that Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin exchanged “congratulatory letters” on Sunday ahead of the visit, and it quotes Joseph Webster writing that expanding Russian oil pipeline capacity to China "would significantly enhance Beijing’s oil security in a Taiwan contingency".

Kyiv Post says Putin’s first priority is to assess Beijing’s diplomatic positioning after Xi’s meeting with Trump, with Moscow concerned whether China’s push for stable relations with the West could come at Russia’s expense.

It also quotes Volodymyr Zelensky saying Ukrainian strikes had cut Russian oil refining by 10 percent in recent months and forced some Russian oil companies to shut down wells, while Zelensky added that "Putin is leading Russia toward bankruptcy," as the visit centers on energy and technology ties.