BEIJING (AP) 鈥� Russian President Vladimir Putin is to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping less than a week after U.S. President Donald Trump wrapped up .
Putin is scheduled to be in China on Tuesday and Wednesday in a visit likely to be closely watched as Beijing seeks to maintain stable relations with the United States while also preserving strong ties with Russia.
The Kremlin has said Putin and Xi plan to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries, but also 鈥渒ey international and regional issues.鈥� The visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship signed in 2001.
China is a key trading partner for Russia, especially after Moscow’s in 2022. Beijing has said it is neutral in the conflict while maintaining trade ties with the Kremlin despite economic and financial sanctions by the U.S. and Europe.
Putin said in a video address released before his visit that bilateral ties are at 鈥渁 truly unprecedented level鈥� and the relationship plays an important role globally, China鈥檚 official Xinhua 小萝莉影视 Agency reported Tuesday.
There is 鈥渘o connection鈥� between the visits by Trump and Putin, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said Monday, noting the trip by the Russian leader was agreed in advance, several days after Putin and Xi spoke via videoconference on Feb. 4.
鈥淭he Trump visit was about stabilizing the world鈥檚 most important bilateral relationship; the Putin visit is about reassuring a long-standing strategic partner,鈥� said Wang Zichen, deputy secretary-general for the Beijing-based think tank Center for China & Globalization. 鈥淔or China, these two tracks are not mutually exclusive.鈥�
Putin and Xi call each other 鈥榝riend鈥�
Putin last visited China in September 2025 to attend the annual summit of in Tianjin, watch a honoring the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and hold talks with Xi.
At the time, Xi called his counterpart an 鈥� while Putin addressed Xi as 鈥渄ear friend.鈥� In China, 鈥渙ld friend鈥� is a very rare diplomatic term used by the government and party to describe favored foreigners.
In April, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey and met Xi, who described the bilateral relationship as 鈥減recious鈥� in the current international context. Xi said China and Russia needed to strengthen and defend their shared interests.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said over the weekend that Putin鈥檚 trip also would allow Russia to receive direct updates and exchange views with China on its talks with the U.S.
During Trump’s visit, Xi described the bilateral relationship between the U.S. and China as the world’s most important and said they should see each other as partners rather than rivals. By the end of the two-day summit, the countries said they would work on a new framework to manage 鈥渁 constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability.鈥�
Wang of the center for China & Globalization observed, 鈥淏eijing wants stable relations with the West, continued strategic trust with Moscow, and enough diplomatic room to present itself as an unbiased major power capable of talking to all sides.鈥�
China is Russia’s primary trade partner
For some, Putin鈥檚 visit is meant to reinforce the partnership between Russia and China that has strengthened in recent years.
China has become Russia’s top trading partner following the start of the war in Ukraine, and is the top customer for Russian oil and gas supplies. Moscow expects the to increase the demand. China also has ignored demands from the West to stop providing high-tech components for Russia鈥檚 weapons industries.
Ushakov, the Russian presidential aide, said Russia鈥檚 oil exports to China grew by 35% in the first quarter of 2026 and that Russia is one of the biggest exporters of natural gas to China.
During 鈥渢he crisis in the Middle East,鈥� Russia remains a reliable energy supplier and China is a 鈥渞esponsible consumer,鈥� Ushakov said.
Putin noted earlier this month that Moscow and Beijing have reached 鈥渁 very substantial step forward in our cooperation in the oil and gas sector.鈥�
鈥淧ractically all the key issues have been agreed upon,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f we succeed in finalizing these details and bringing them to a conclusion during this visit, I will be extremely pleased.鈥�
Putin also praised their bilateral relationship as a crucial, balancing force in international relations.
鈥淚nteraction between such nations as China and Russia undoubtedly serves as a factor of deterrence and stability,鈥� he said.
Moscow welcomes China鈥檚 dialogue with the U.S. as another stabilizing element for the global economy, Putin added.
鈥淲e stand only to benefit from this, from the stability and constructive engagement between the U.S. and China,鈥� he said.
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