Beijing signals deepening strategic ties with Russia days after high-stakes diplomacy with Donald Trump.
Chinese president Xi Jinping is expected to discuss a broad range of global and regional issues with Russian president Vladimir Putin during the Russian leader’s official visit to Beijing later this week, according to China’s foreign ministry.
Speaking at a briefing on Monday, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said co-operation between China and Russia continued to expand “across all areas,” delivering tangible benefits to both countries and contributing to global strategic stability and international fairness.
Putin will travel to China on May 19-20 at the invitation of Xi, in a visit widely seen as a signal of Beijing’s foreign policy priorities at a moment of growing geopolitical tension.
The Kremlin leader’s arrival in Beijing comes shortly after US president Donald Trump visited China for talks with Xi aimed at stabilising relations between Washington and Beijing — ties that remain critical to the economies of both countries.
Yet Putin’s visit appears to carry a different message altogether. While Trump’s trip underscored the necessity of managing strategic competition between the world’s two largest economies, the Kremlin leader’s presence in Beijing is expected to reaffirm the increasingly close political and strategic alignment between China and Russia.
