Putin visits China to reaffirm Russia ties

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. World Putin visits China to reaffirm Russia ties May 19, 20262:02 AM ET By The Associated Press FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a walk at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound in Beijing, China, Sept. Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik Kremlin Pool Photo via AP hide caption toggle caption Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik Kremlin Pool Photo via AP BEIJING — Russian President Vladimir Putin is traveling to China to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping less than a week after U. President Donald Trump wrapped up his own trip to Beijing.

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. China: Inside a great power rivalry Key takeaways from Trump's China trip The Kremlin has said Putin and Xi plan to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries, but also "key international and regional issues. " The visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship signed in 2001.

The Details

Putin said in a video address released before his visit that bilateral ties are at "a truly unprecedented level" and the relationship plays an important role globally, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported Tuesday. There is "no connection" between Trump's visit to China and Putin's, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters Monday, noting the trip by the Russian leader was agreed in advance, several days after Putin and Xi spoke via videoconference on Feb. Sponsor Message "The Trump visit was about stabilizing the world's most important bilateral relationship; the Putin visit is about reassuring a long-standing strategic partner," said Wang Zichen, deputy secretary-general for the Beijing-based think tank Center for China & Globalization.

"For China, these two tracks are not mutually exclusive. " Putin and Xi call each other 'friend' Putin last visited China in September 2025 to attend the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Tianjin, watch a military parade honoring the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and hold talks with Xi. At the time, Xi called his counterpart an "old friend " while Putin addressed Xi as "dear friend.

" In China, "old friend" is a very rare diplomatic term used by the government and party to describe favored foreign people. In April, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Beijing and met Xi, who described the bilateral relationship as "precious" in the current international context. Xi said China and Russia needed to use a stronger strategic collaboration to defend their legitimate, shared interests and safeguard the unity of Global South countries.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.