Putin to visit China just days after Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on an official visit to Beijing on May 19-20, the Kremlin confirmed on Saturday.

The visit will come just days after U.S. President Donald Trump was in China for a two-day summit on May 14-15, which marked the first American presidential trip to China in almost a decade.

Putin’s trip will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation between Russia and China, which serves as the groundwork for relations between the two countries.

Putin and Xi “will discuss current bilateral matters, ways to further strengthen the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation between the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China, and exchange views on key international and regional matters,” according to a Kremlin statement.

The Russian leader last visited China in 2025, when he signed several deals with Xi that boosted economic ties in areas such as energy and technology. China is Russia’s largest trading partner, as Moscow has shifted its economic focus to Asia after Western sanctions over Putin’s all-out invasion of Ukraine.

During the Tuesday-Wednesday visit, Putin will also discuss economic and trade cooperation with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

Trump, meanwhile, did not disclose much about the economic gains made during his trip to Beijing, after what has been a rocky year for U.S.-China trade ties over tariff threats. “I think a lot of good has come of it,” Trump said. “We’ve made some fantastic trade deals, really for both countries.”