Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to arrive in Beijing for a two-day state visit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as both navigate strained relations with the West and an ongoing war in Iran that has choked global energy supplies.
Putin’s May 19-20 visit, his 25th to China since he first came to power more than two decades ago, comes less than a week after Xi hosted US President Donald Trump in the Chinese capital.
The trip coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship signed in 2001, and Moscow said Putin and Xi plan to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries, with Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov adding that they also plan to sign a declaration on building a “multipolar world” and “a new type of international relations.
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I sincerely appreciate President Xi Jinping’s commitment to long-term cooperation with Russia. I believe that our good, friendly contacts help us chart our boldest plans for the future and bring them to fruition, Putinsaid in a video addressreleased on May 19 ahead of his trip.
Putin and Xi are set to meet on the morning of May 20, but Ushakov did not reveal details beyond saying that key international and regional issues will be discussed. Those are expected to include the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, as well as future energy deals between Beijing and Moscow and Xis recent summit with Trump, which the Kremlin said Putin would be briefed on.
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The war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year, is also set to feature in the discussions, and Putins visit comes after months of sustainedUkrainian strikes deep inside Russiathat have hit oil infrastructure and civilian centers like Moscow.
It’s about imagery and optics, and I think on the Chinese side, there is a balancing effort, hosting President Trump one week and President Putin the next, Michael Kimmage, director of the Kennan Institute, a Washington-based think tank, told RFE/RL. That’s a gesture of politeness toward Putin, as if he’s on par with the United States and with China.
Energy Security Moves To The Forefront
China has become Russias top trading partner, and Beijing is now the top customer for Russian oil and gas supplies, which Moscow expects the war in Iran to further boost.
The war in the Middle East has added new urgency to Moscow’s case. Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies, squeezing China’s energy imports and reinforcing arguments for securing overland pipeline alternatives.
Beijing has bought more than $367 billion worth of Russian fossil fuels since the start of the war in Iran, according to data collected by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
The crisis hasalso renewed attentionon the proposed Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline. During Putins last visit to China in September 2025, Russia and China signed a memorandum to move forward with the 2,600-kilometer project that would bring gas from Russia’s northern Yamal Peninsula to China via eastern Mongolia.
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But the two sides have yet to agree on pricing and other crucial details, with analysts cautioning that the negotiations could drag on for years and potentially never come to fruition.
In terms of immediate impact, there is not much upside to be expected in terms of pipeline gas to China. Power of Siberia-1 is pretty much full; it was at capacity last year, Anne-Sophie Corbeau, a researcher at Columbia Universitys Center on Global Energy Policy, told RFE/RL. The next increase in terms of capacity will be with the 12 bcm Far East pipeline, but this one will only start in 2027 and progressively ramp up volumes.
Beijing has been buying more Russian crude at a discount since Western sanctions were imposed following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has led to further oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) purchases.
But its unclear if the new global energy crunch will lead to any true progress on the Power of Siberia-2.
