Putin to visit Beijing only days after Trump departs, SCMP says

KYIV – Russian leader Vladimir Putin will visit Beijing on May 20, the South China Morning Post reported, just days after President Xi Jinping’s summit in the Chinese capital with his US counterpart Donald Trump.

The one-day trip is seen as a routine part of the Kremlin’s relationship with Beijing, the SCMP cited unidentified sources as saying, adding that it is unlikely to feature any elaborate ceremonies like a parade.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Kremlin has not officially announced the date of the visit so far.

Mr Putin’s trip to China will mark his first foreign visit of the year, underscoring the close ties between Beijing and Moscow. Both countries see each other as critical partners in their broader struggle to challenge the US-led world order. 

Over the past four years, Beijing has become Moscow’s key ally as Russia came under immense economic sanctions from the West for its war against Ukraine.

China has helped blunt the effects of the punitive Western measures from the earliest days of the war by buying Russian oil and selling dual-use goods to its neighbour. 

In April, Mr Xi touted the stability of ties with Moscow and pledged deeper bilateral coordination during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Earlier in May, Mr Putin said the two countries were “in principle” aligned on taking a serious step forward in cooperation in the oil and gas sector, adding that he would like to speak to Mr Xi about nuclear energy as well. BLOOMBERG