Putin Heads to Beijing Days After Trump in Test of China’s Loyalty
CNBC reported Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The visit follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s own state visit to China by just days.
A High-Stakes Sequence in Beijing
The timing is anything but coincidental. Beijing hosted Trump to considerable fanfare last week. Putin’s visit, scheduled for May 19-20, is the second time the two leaders have met within the past year. China is navigating a precarious diplomatic path, maintaining its partnership with Moscow while carefully rebuilding economic ties with Washington.
Putin is widely seen as coming to the table from a position of weakness. Analysts at consultancy Teneo noted China now holds considerable leverage, given how dependent Russia has become on Beijing’s trade lifelines since Western sanctions took hold after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Russia’s Economy Feels the Strain
Moscow’s economic outlook has deteriorated sharply heading into the summit. Russia slashed its 2026 growth forecast to just 0.4%, down from an earlier projection of 1.3%. Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure and export terminals have compounded the pressure. Uncertainty around the future of U.S. sanctions waivers adds further strain.
Former U.S. intelligence official and Georgetown University professor Dennis Wilder told CNBC that Putin will push for reassurance. Specifically, he wants confirmation that any warming between Beijing and Washington has not fundamentally shifted the so-called strategic triangle that keeps China and Russia more closely aligned with each other than with the United States.
Background: China as Moscow’s Economic Lifeline
Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine left it diplomatically isolated across much of the West. China stepped in as Moscow’s largest buyer of discounted oil and gas, absorbing Russian exports as European demand collapsed to levels not seen since the mid-1970s. NATO has publicly labeled China a “decisive enabler” of the war effort, citing Chinese firms’ supply of dual-use goods used to restock Russian munitions.
Trump’s visit last week produced tangible deliverables including a $17 billion annual agricultural purchase commitment, a 200-aircraft Boeing order, and a planned September meeting between Xi and Trump in Washington. Putin’s summit is expected to be more transactional by comparison, though the scale of the Russian delegation suggests ambitions beyond routine diplomacy.
Energy Dominates the Agenda
An energy agreement appears to be the centerpiece of Putin’s visit. Putin himself signaled last week that a major gas and oil deal with China is within reach. With instability near the Strait of Hormuz heightening energy security concerns across Asia, Beijing has clear incentive to lock in stable Russian supply. Moscow, for its part, needs the revenue to keep its wartime economy functioning.
Chinese state media framed the back-to-back summits as proof of Beijing’s growing centrality in global affairs.
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