BEIJING: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing late Tuesday for high-level talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, aiming to demonstrate that ties between Russia and China remain strong and unaffected by recent diplomatic developments involving former US president Donald Trump.
Confirmation of Putin’s trip came only hours after Trump concluded his visit to China on Friday — the first trip to the country by a US president in nearly a decade. Trump’s visit was widely seen as an effort to stabilise tense relations between Washington and Beijing.
Putin landed at Beijing Capital International Airport around 11:15pm local time, where he was welcomed by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and an official military band. His arrival closely resembled Trump’s reception days earlier, with both leaders stepping onto a red carpet while groups of Chinese youths waved national flags and chanted “welcome, welcome.” This time, however, Russian flags replaced American ones.
According to a Kremlin statement, Putin and Xi are expected to discuss ways to further strengthen the strategic partnership between their countries and exchange views on major international and regional issues. Relations between Moscow and Beijing have grown significantly closer since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since then, Putin has travelled to Beijing every year as Russia faces diplomatic isolation from many Western nations.
Despite the close cooperation, analysts note that the relationship is increasingly unequal, with Moscow becoming heavily dependent on Beijing economically. China remains the largest buyer of sanctioned Russian oil and an essential economic lifeline for Russia.
One of the major topics expected during the talks is the proposed “Power of Siberia 2” gas pipeline project, which would transport Russian natural gas to China through Mongolia. Moscow views the project as strategically important because it would provide China with a land-based alternative to Middle Eastern energy imports transported by sea.
Ahead of the visit, Xi and Putin exchanged congratulatory letters on Sunday marking 30 years of strategic partnership between their countries. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun praised what he described as the enduring friendship between China and Russia.
In a video message addressed to the Chinese public before his arrival, Putin said relations between the two countries had reached “a truly unprecedented level” and highlighted continued growth in bilateral trade. He added that the close strategic partnership between Russia and China plays a stabilising role in global affairs and promotes peace and prosperity without targeting any third country.
The two leaders are also expected to sign a joint declaration following their meetings.
Xi previously welcomed Putin as an “old friend” during his last visit to Beijing in September 2025 — language he notably did not use for Trump during last week’s meetings. Putin, who often refers to Xi as his “dear friend,” is expected to use the visit to project unity and reassure the world that relations between Moscow and Beijing remain unaffected by US diplomatic outreach.
Patricia Kim of the Brookings Institution said the Putin-Xi relationship does not require the same level of ceremonial display seen during Trump’s visit because both sides view their partnership as structurally stronger and more stable than China’s ties with the United States.
Although Beijing has repeatedly called for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, it has avoided condemning Russia’s military actions and continues to present itself as a neutral party. Trump and Xi discussed the Ukraine conflict during last week’s summit, but no major breakthrough emerged from those talks.
Analysts believe Xi will likely brief Putin about his discussions with Trump. Patricia Kim noted that the absence of any significant agreements between Washington and Beijing likely reassured Moscow that Chinese-US talks would not undermine Russian interests.
Energy cooperation is expected to feature heavily during Putin’s visit. Trump claimed during his China trip that Beijing had agreed to purchase more US oil to satisfy its growing energy demand. Because Russia relies heavily on energy exports to China to support its economy and military spending, experts say Putin will seek assurances that Beijing remains committed to Russian supplies.
Lyle Morris of the Asia Society said Putin would also likely discuss China’s future role in the Middle East after Trump suggested Beijing should take on greater responsibility in the region.
However, analysts say Russia and China may not fully share the same priorities regarding the ongoing US-Israeli conflict involving Iran. James Char from Nanyang Technological University explained that China depends heavily on secure global shipping routes and would prefer tensions in the Strait of Hormuz to ease quickly in order to protect trade and economic stability.
Russia, by contrast, may benefit economically from instability in the region because higher energy prices and shifting sanctions dynamics can strengthen demand for Russian oil and gas exports.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after meeting Xi earlier this year that Moscow could help compensate for China’s energy shortages if Middle East tensions disrupt supplies.
Joseph Webster from the Atlantic Council said expanding energy cooperation is likely to be a major focus of the summit, especially as Beijing looks for reliable energy alternatives and Moscow seeks to redirect more exports eastward amid continued attacks on Russian energy infrastructure linked to the Ukraine war.