Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to China on the 19th–20th. Because the trip comes right after U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China, it is expected to produce a scene in which China and Russia immediately highlight their strategic alignment following U.S.-China summit diplomacy.
The Kremlin said on the 16th, local time, that President Putin will travel to China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. The visit was arranged to mark the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, the legal and diplomatic foundation of bilateral ties. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed that Putin's trip will be a state visit.
Earlier, the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong reported that President Putin might visit China for a one-day schedule on the 20th. But with the final plan set as a two-day state visit, observers say the weight of the protocol and diplomatic agenda—such as a welcoming ceremony, a summit, and a joint statement—has increased.
Putin and Xi are expected to discuss the overall bilateral relationship, ways to strengthen their comprehensive partnership, and international and regional developments. After the talks, the two sides are likely to issue a top-level joint statement and sign intergovernmental agreements. The two leaders will also attend events commemorating the "Year of Russia and China" together.
During the visit, Putin will also meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang to discuss ways to expand trade and economic cooperation. As Western sanctions have dragged on, Russia has expanded energy and raw materials trade with China, and China has maintained channels of cooperation with Russia amid strategic competition with the United States.
The trip comes four days after President Trump wrapped up his visit to China. With no clear agreements on key issues such as Iran, Taiwan, and trade frictions emerging from the Trump-Xi talks, the China-Russia leaders are likely to emphasize solidarity through a joint statement and accords.
Putin and Xi will meet face-to-face for the first time since the 80th anniversary Victory Day military parade in Beijing in September last year. At the time, the two leaders ascended Tiananmen Gate with Kim Jong-un, symbolically showcasing closer North Korea-China-Russia ties. Putin and Xi are known to have met more than 40 times so far, and the two countries declared a relationship of "no limits" cooperation just before the Ukraine war in 2022.