What to know as Xi hosts Putin in Beijing days after Trump

BEIJING - Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Beijing on May 19 for a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, looking to deepen a strategic partnership stretching from Scandinavia to South-east Asia.

Underpinning the two nuclear powers’ relations is China’s economic heft complemented by Russia’s vast oil production, likely at the forefront of talks this week.

Here’s what to know ahead of the meeting.

Firm friends, frequent visits

Mr Putin is a regular visitor to China and has met Mr Xi dozens of times, with the two leaders often calling to extend messages, condolences and congratulations – including birthday wishes.

This week marks his 25th trip to China, Beijing’s Foreign Ministry said on May 18.

The Russian leader last visited China in September as Mr Xi’s guest of honour to a massive military parade.

Mr Putin said this week he was “confident” he and Mr Xi would “do everything possible to deepen the Russia-China partnership”.

Beijing frames its relationship with Moscow as “ironclad” – and after welcoming US leader Donald Trump with pomp and ceremony, Mr Xi will be keen to show China-Russia ties remain strong as ever, experts said.

It is a “reminder to Washington that this is a solid relationship of 30 years-plus standing”, said Dr Natasha Kuhrt of King’s College London.

That image is a priority for Mr Putin, who calls Mr Xi a “dear friend”, said Professor Zhao Long, from the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies.

“Moscow wants reassurance that Russia still occupies a privileged place in China’s strategic calculus,” he said.

Unequal relationship, shared interests

The China-Russia relationship, however, is far from equal.

Bilateral trade has surged since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to more than double the level seen in 2020, according to data from the Mercator Institute for China Studies.

More than 70 per cent of China’s imports from Russia consisted of mineral fuel, it added, with Russian oil exports to China rising around 30 per cent since 2022.

However, imports from Russia accounted for only around 5 per cent of China’s imports in 2025, according to Chinese Customs data.

Conversely, China accounted for more than a third of Russia’s imports and more than a quarter of its exports in 2025, according to the Russian news agency TASS.

Nevertheless, the two countries, whose border spans 4,000km, share common opposition to a world order dominated by the United States and the West.

They are also longstanding partners of Iran and North Korea.

Days after Trump

Mr Putin’s trip, his first abroad in 2026, comes days after Mr Trump visited Beijing and experts say the back-to-back nature of the meetings is “significant” – despite schedules set long in advance.

The order of the visits means “Xi can obviously brief Putin on the takeaways from the Trump meeting”, Dr Kuhrt said.

In Beijing, Mr Trump lavished Mr Xi with praise, calling him a “great leader”, touted “fantastic trade deals”, and shared desires for deals in Ukraine and Iran.

“China and Russia do often coordinate strategically before and after interactions with other major powers, which itself reflects a high level of mutual trust,” said Prof Zhao.

But, he said, the timing “should not be over-interpreted”.

Mr Xi held calls with the US and Russian leaders on the same day in February, speaking first to Mr Putin via video before phoning Mr Trump hours later.

Ukraine sidelined?

Russia’s four-year invasion of Ukraine was among a list of thorny issues Mr Trump and Mr Xi discussed last week.

“It’s one that we’d like to see settled,” Mr Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One after departing the Chinese capital.

But while reaching a conclusion on Ukraine is a priority for Mr Putin, China “is unlikely to become the principal architect of the settlement process”, Prof Zhao said.

“Any concrete ceasefire arrangements or political road map will ultimately depend on the initiative of the key actors involved.”

This week, Mr Putin and Mr Xi will discuss “international and regional issues of common concern”, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said May 18.

China has regularly called for talks to end the fighting, but it has never condemned Russia for sending troops into Ukraine and presents itself as a neutral party.

Beijing also denies providing Moscow with weapons and military components for its defence industry.

Pipeline progress

China is the world’s top buyer of Russian fossil fuels, making it a key economic partner of Moscow, which is facing Western sanctions on oil and gas over the Ukraine war.

The two countries are in discussion over the building of a major “Power of Siberia 2” natural gas pipeline from Russia to China through Mongolia, a land alternative to crude imported by sea from the Middle East.

“For Putin, the relationship is clearly more important than ever, especially in economic terms,” Dr Kuhrt said.

The Iran war could boost Russia’s chances of the pipeline being built, she added, with China directly affected by the lack of petroleum crossing the Strait of Hormuz since strikes began on Feb 28.

But, she said, Beijing “tends to prefer diversity of supply”.

“China would not want to be too dependent on Russia for energy,” Dr Kuhrt said.

In last week’s talks, Mr Xi agreed to help Washington reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Mr Trump told Fox News. AFP