Putin to meet Xi in Beijing next week

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on a two-day trip to Beijing next week, the Kremlin said Saturday.

During the meeting, Xi and Putin will discuss bilateral relations, economic cooperation and key international and regional issues, the Kremlin said.

Putin's trip is scheduled for May 19-20. The visit will mark the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship. After the meeting, a joint statement at the highest level and several bilateral intergovernmental and interdepartmental documents are expected to be signed.

The announcement comes less than 24 hours after U.S. President Donald Trump finished his own state visit to China, where he met with Xi to discuss trade and the war in Iran.

Mr. Trump said Chinese officials opened the door to new areas of cooperation with the United States. Concrete agreements have yet to materialize. Wendy Cutler, a former negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, said that so far it does not seem like Trump and his team have a lot to show for the visit.

Questions about U.S. aid to Taiwan also lingered after the visit. Mr. Trump has not decided whether to move forward with a delayed $14 billion arms sale that Congress approved in January. Leaders from both political parties pushed Mr. Trump to support the island territory.

Relations between China and Russia have deepened in recent years, particularly since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 left Moscow shunned on the global stage and heavily reliant on Beijing for trade due to Western sanctions.

When Putin visited China in September 2025, Xi welcomed his counterpart as an old friend. Putin also addressed Xi as dear friend.

The Russian leader is also scheduled to visit China for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the city of Shenzhen in November.