Putin set for China visit after Trump’s Beijing trip

Russian President, Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit China on May 19 for a two-day official trip, coming shortly after US President Donald Trump concluded his visit to Beijing, the Kremlin announced on Saturday.

According to a statement released by the Kremlin, Putin’s discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping will focus on ways to “further strengthen the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation” between both countries.

The statement added that the two leaders are expected to deliberate on major international and regional developments before signing a joint declaration at the end of their meeting.

Putin is also expected to hold talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on issues relating to trade and economic cooperation between Moscow and Beijing.

The announcement follows Trump’s departure from China on Friday after completing the first visit by a sitting US president to the Asian country in nearly 10 years.

Despite the elaborate reception accorded to him, several contentious issues, including trade disputes and geopolitical tensions surrounding the Russia-Ukraine war, remained unresolved.

Trump and Xi reportedly discussed the conflict in Ukraine, which has lasted for more than four years, as well as the ongoing US-Israeli confrontation with Iran. However, the US president left Beijing without any major breakthrough on either issue.

China has consistently called for dialogue aimed at ending the Ukraine conflict, but has refrained from condemning Russia’s military operation launched in February 2022. Beijing continues to present itself as neutral in the conflict.

Chinese authorities have also repeatedly denied supplying Russia with weapons or military equipment for its defence sector, instead accusing Western nations of prolonging the war by providing military support to Ukraine.

China, currently the largest purchaser of Russian fossil fuels, has emerged as a crucial economic ally for Moscow, particularly after Western countries imposed sanctions on Russian oil and gas exports following the outbreak of the war.

Efforts led by the United States to broker peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have reportedly slowed since the outbreak of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran on February 28.

Meanwhile, Moscow has maintained that it will not agree to a ceasefire or broader negotiations with Ukraine unless Kyiv accepts the Kremlin’s far-reaching conditions.