Putin arrives in Beijing for talks

Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for a two-day visit centered on talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to the Kremlin’s published schedule. The trip runs May 19-20 and comes days after Xi hosted U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing, putting another major-power summit on China’s calendar this week. Russian and Chinese officials have both said the agenda includes bilateral ties, cooperation across multiple sectors and international and regional issues. The Kremlin has also signaled it wants concrete outcomes on energy. ### When did Putin arrive, and what is on the schedule? May 19 marked the start of Putin’s official visit to China, which the Kremlin said was made at Xi’s invitation. The Kremlin said the trip coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation between Russia and China. Tuesday’s arrival was followed by a schedule that places the main Putin-Xi talks on Wednesday at the Grand Hall of the People in Beijing, according to the Kremlin account cited by ABC News. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was due to greet Putin at the airport, and a formal reception is planned after the leaders’ meeting. (en.kremlin.ru) ### What have Moscow and Beijing said the leaders will discuss? The Kremlin said Putin and Xi will discuss “current bilateral matters,” ways to strengthen what Moscow calls the countries’ comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, and “key international and regional matters.” In a pre-trip address published by the Kremlin on May 19, Putin called Xi his “long-time good friend” and said regular top-level meetings are part of efforts to expand relations between the two countries. (abcnews.com) China’s foreign ministry, through comments carried by state media and cited by ABC News, said the two leaders would discuss China-Russia relations, cooperation in various fields and international and regional issues of mutual interest. The same account said the visit is Putin’s 25th trip to China. (en.kremlin.ru) ### Why is energy at the center of attention? The Kremlin has indicated that energy is one of the main deliverables Moscow wants from the visit. CNBC reported that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that Russia had “very serious expectations” for the trip and described the agenda as advancing the countries’ “privileged and strategic partnership,” with a “serious” oil and gas deal among the expected outcomes. (english.gov.cn) Bloomberg reported that Putin sees the war in Iran as an opening to deepen energy links with China, including efforts to advance gas pipeline discussions. CNBC also said the Kremlin expects tangible outcomes as Russia seeks stronger energy cooperation with China while facing pressure on its economy and export infrastructure. (cnbc.com) ### How does this fit into the wider diplomatic picture? Beijing scheduled Putin’s visit less than a week after Trump’s own trip to China, according to ABC News and CNBC. ABC said Trump and Xi discussed Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, fentanyl and Chinese purchases of U.S. farm products during that earlier summit. (bloomberg.com) CNBC reported that analysts see Beijing entering the summit with leverage because Russia has become more dependent on China for trade since Western sanctions were imposed after Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. That assessment was attributed by CNBC to Andrius Tursa of Teneo and Dennis Wilder of Georgetown University. (abcnews.com) ### What should readers watch next? May 20 is the key date for the visit, when Xi and Putin are due to hold formal talks in Beijing. Any joint statement, signed documents or announced oil and gas agreements would likely come after the Grand Hall meeting and reception laid out in the Kremlin schedule. (abcnews.com) (cnbc.com)