The Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to China on May 19 and 20, a visit that comes right after U.S. President Donald Trump’s stop in the country. The information was released this Saturday by the Russian government’s press office.
According to an official statement, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping will discuss ways to “further strengthen the comprehensive relationship and strategic cooperation” between Moscow and Beijing. A meeting with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang is also scheduled to address bilateral economic and trade cooperation. At the end of the gathering, the leaders are expected to sign a joint declaration on key international and regional issues.
China considers Russia a priority partner in building a post-Western multipolar world order. Beijing has never condemned Moscow for the military offensive launched in February 2022 in Ukraine, although it advocates peace negotiations and respect for the territorial integrity of all countries. The Chinese government denies supplying lethal weapons to either side of the conflict and accuses Western countries of prolonging hostilities by arming Ukraine.
In practice, however, China is the main buyer of Russian fuels, including petroleum products, which sustains the Russian war machine. Trump, who is acting as a mediator in the war between Ukraine and Russia, left China on Friday saying he had reached “fantastic” trade deals, without giving details. Aircraft manufacturer Boeing confirmed an “initial commitment” for the sale of 200 planes to the Asian country, as announced by the U.S. president.