Xi and Putin to hold talks in Beijing

Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China for talks with CHinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday and Friday, the Kremlin said Tuesday, in the Russian president’s first trip abroad since his re-election in mid-March.

“At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to the People's Republic of China on May 16-17, in his first foreign trip since taking office,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

The two leaders “will discuss in detail the entire range of issues of their comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, identify key directions for the further development of Russian-Chinese practical cooperation, and also thoroughly exchange views on the most pressing international and regional issues,” the Kremlin said, adding that Putin and Xi would release a joint statement following their talks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a solemn welcome ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the St. George's Hall at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, March 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

During his visit, the Russian leader will travel to Beijing and Harbin, taking part in an event marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations. He will also meet with Premier Li Qiang, with talks expected to focus on “issues of bilateral cooperation in the trade, economic and humanitarian spheres,” according to the Kremlin.

Putin last held face-to-face talks with Xi in October, when the two held talks on the sidelines of a Belt and Road initiative summit in Beijing. The latest summit will come as Russian forces push deeper into Ukraine and just days after Putin named a new defense chief in a signal that he was settling in for a protracted war.

That visit highlighted Russia’s growing reliance on China for trade and political backing as it looks to build on its “no-limits” partnership with Beijing — cooperation that experts say is driven by their mutual desire to curb U.S. power and challenge U.S. global dominance despite ongoing challenges to their own relationship.