Putin to Visit China Following US Presidents Recent Trip

Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit China from May 19 to 20, according to the Kremlin. The visit will mark a significant milestone as it commemorates the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between Russia and China in 2001.

During his trip, Putin plans to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang to discuss economic and trade cooperation. The Kremlin stated that the visit aims to “further strengthen the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation” between Moscow and Beijing.

This announcement comes on the heels of a recent visit by US President Donald Trump to China, which saw limited progress on key issues such as Taiwan and the Russia-Ukraine war. Xi Jinping has maintained close ties with Putin, despite China’s official neutrality in the conflict. In fact, Xi has presented himself as a mediator in the crisis.

China and Russia have strengthened their economic relations in recent months, with Chinese firms reportedly shipping engines to Russian drone assembly plants under false labels. The two nations maintain strong political and economic ties, with China purchasing significant amounts of Russian oil and goods after Western sanctions were imposed on Moscow.

Last month, Xi Jinping pressed for “closer and stronger strategic coordination” between Beijing and Moscow in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. This visit will be Putin’s fourth trip to China since 2020, and it is expected to further solidify the bilateral relationship between the two nations.

Source: Al Jazeera