Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin met in Beijing to strengthen China-Russia relations, shortly after Donald Trump's visit to China.
Key points
Xi Jinping welcomed Vladimir Putin in Beijing
The meeting reaffirmed China-Russia ties
Took place days after Trump's visit to China
Held at the Great Hall of the People
Mentioned in this story
Xi JinpingVladimir PutinDonald TrumpBeijing
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping inspect an honor guard during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping inspect an honor guard during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
Maxim Shemetov/Pool Reuters
Maxim Shemetov/Pool Reuters
BEIJING — Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday in a meeting meant to reaffirm ties and that takes place only days after a visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to China.
Xi welcomed Putin with a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People. The two delegations later held bilateral talks, to be followed by a ceremony for signing cooperation agreements.
Q&A
What was the purpose of Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin's meeting in Beijing?
The meeting aimed to reaffirm and strengthen the ties between China and Russia.
When did Donald Trump visit China in relation to Xi and Putin's meeting?
Donald Trump visited China just days before Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin's meeting on May 20, 2026.
What significance does the meeting between Xi and Putin hold for international relations?
The meeting signifies a continued partnership between China and Russia amidst shifting global dynamics, particularly following U.S. engagements.
Where did the meeting between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin take place?
The meeting took place at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
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Putin's visit comes just days after Trump's own trip to Beijing – in a sequence that is meant to cement Beijing's image as an influential superpower, experts say.
"The message is clearly one that China maintains friendship and strategic partnership with whichever power it likes, and the USA is just one of them," said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London.
Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said earlier that there was "no connection" between Trump and Putin's visits, noting the trip by the Russian leader was agreed several days after Putin and Xi spoke via videoconference on Feb. 4.
The Russian and Chinese leaders are set to discuss energy and security as well as their overall ties. The two sides agreed to extend a friendship treaty first signed in 2001, Chinese state media reported.
Children holding Russian and Chinese flags walk ahead of a welcoming ceremony for Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
Children holding Russian and Chinese flags walk ahead of a welcoming ceremony for Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
Maxim Shemetov/Pool Reuters
Maxim Shemetov/Pool Reuters
China became Russia's top trading partner following after Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Beijing has said it is neutral in the conflict while maintaining trade ties with the Kremlin despite economic and financial sanctions by the U.S. and Europe.
China is the top customer for Russian oil and gas supplies, and Moscow expects the war in Iran to increase the demand. China also has ignored demands from the West to stop providing high-tech components for Russia's weapons industries.
Ushakov said Russia's oil exports to China grew by 35% in the first quarter of 2026 and that Russia is one of the biggest exporters of natural gas to China.
During "the crisis in the Middle East," Russia remains a reliable energy supplier and China is a "responsible consumer," Ushakov said.
Putin noted earlier this month that Moscow and Beijing have reached "a very substantial step forward in our cooperation in the oil and gas sector."
"Practically all the key issues have been agreed upon," he said. "If we succeed in finalizing these details and bringing them to a conclusion during this visit, I will be extremely pleased."
Putin also praised their bilateral relationship as a crucial, balancing force in international relations.
"Interaction between such nations as China and Russia undoubtedly serves as a factor of deterrence and stability," he said.
Moscow welcomes China's dialogue with the U.S. as another stabilizing element for the global economy, Putin added.
"We stand only to benefit from this, from the stability and constructive engagement between the U.S. and China," he said.
