Chinese President Xi Jinping will host Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing this week, just four days after US President Donald Trump departed the Chinese capital following a high-stakes summit. The back-to-back visits underscore Beijing's growing role as a central hub for global diplomacy, according to Chinese state media.
Xi and Putin exchanged congratulatory letters on Sunday ahead of the visit, with Xi noting that bilateral cooperation between Russia and China had 'continuously deepened and solidified'. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the two countries' strategic partnership. Putin is expected to arrive on Tuesday evening and meet Xi on Wednesday morning, with discussions covering all areas of bilateral relations, including the proposed Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline.
An article in the state-run Global Times highlighted the significance of hosting both US and Russian leaders within a week, calling it 'extremely rare in the post-cold war era'. China's deepening ties with Russia have raised concerns in the West, particularly since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Western diplomats and analysts say China's economic and diplomatic support has helped sustain the conflict. Bilateral trade between China and Russia has soared to record levels, with China purchasing over $367 billion of Russian fossil fuels since the war began.
The Ukraine conflict and Sino-Russian relations did not feature prominently in Trump's talks with Xi last week. Instead, discussions focused on trade, Taiwan, and the Middle East. Xi warned Trump about the potential for conflict over Taiwan if the issue was mishandled. Trump left Beijing without deciding on a multibillion-dollar weapons deal for Taiwan, a move that would be a major win for Beijing.
Analysts suggest Taiwan may be a key topic in the Xi-Putin meeting. Joseph Webster of the Atlantic Council noted that Beijing might seek additional fossil fuel deals with Moscow to secure energy supplies in the event of a conflict over Taiwan. Russia has been pushing for the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, which would add 50 billion cubic metres of capacity to the network.
