Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China on May 19 for a two-day visit, the Kremlin announced on Saturday, soon after US President Donald Trump’s high-profile visit to Beijing ended.According to a Kremlin statement, Putin will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on ways to “further strengthen the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation” between Moscow and Beijing.The two leaders are also expected to exchange views on “key international and regional issues” and sign a joint declaration at the end of the talks.Putin is also scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Li Kiang to discuss economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

This visit is after Trump’s visit to Beijing

The Kremlin’s announcement came just a day after Trump concluded the first visit to China by a sitting US president in nearly a decade. The visit was dominated by discussions on Taiwan, trade relations and the ongoing Iran conflict.Taiwan emerged as one of the most sensitive issues during Trump’s meetings with Xi. The Chinese leader reportedly warned that mishandling the Taiwan issue could lead Washington and Beijing to conflict. Trump later said aboard Air Force One that he had not yet decided whether to move forward with a major US arms package to Taiwan after hearing Xi’s objections.Trump also said he and Xi discussed Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, with the US president claiming that Chinese leaders agreed that Iran should not have nuclear weapons and that the strategic waterway should remain open.

China-Russia relations in focus

China has maintained close ties with Russia since Moscow launched a military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While Beijing has repeatedly called for peace talks, it has refrained from condemning Russia’s actions and continues to describe itself as a neutral party.China has also denied Western accusations that it is providing Russia with arms or military equipment for the Ukraine conflict. Instead, Beijing has accused Western countries of prolonging the war by continuing to arm Ukraine.China has become Russia’s major economic partner in recent years, especially after Western sanctions isolated Moscow from many global markets. Beijing remains one of the biggest buyers of Russian fossil fuels, helping keep Russia’s economy afloat amid sanctions pressure.Trump’s visit to China saw both Washington and Beijing talk about building more “constructive” and stable relations, although major differences over Taiwan, trade and geopolitical tensions remain unresolved.