BEIJING: Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to arrive in Beijing on Tuesday for a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The May 19-20 talks mark the second meeting between Xi and Putin in the past year, underscoring Beijing’s effort to manage relations with both Washington and Moscow while casting itself as a pivotal power in global diplomacy.
Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has left Moscow largely isolated from the West and heavily dependent on China for trade under sanctions.
“We have very serious expectations for this visit,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday, calling the agenda an effort to deepen what he described as the countries’ “privileged and strategic partnership.”
Moscow recently cut its growth forecast for this year to 0.4 percent from 1.3 percent as its economy absorbs Ukrainian attacks on oil infrastructure and export terminals that help finance the war, alongside uncertainty over future U.S. sanctions waivers.
Trump’s visit last week included a lavish state banquet and produced several major deals, including commitments for $17 billion in annual Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural goods through 2028, a 200-plane order for Boeing and a plan for Xi to visit Washington in September.
By contrast, Putin’s trip is expected to be more businesslike and framed as part of routine bilateral engagement, Tursa said. Still, the size and makeup of the Russian delegation suggest the Kremlin hopes to broaden cooperation across multiple sectors, he added.
Energy and investment
Energy is expected to dominate the talks. China has become Russia’s largest buyer of oil and gas, snapping up supplies at steep discounts after European demand fell to its lowest levels since the mid-1970s.
With the closure of the Strait of Hormuz heightening energy security concerns across Asia, Beijing has fresh incentive to secure Russian supplies, while Moscow needs the revenue to prop up its economy.
Putin signaled last week that Moscow is close to clinching a major energy pact with Beijing.
“We are at a very advanced stage of agreement on making a serious, very substantial step forward in the gas and oil sector,” he said at a news conference, adding that “if it proves possible to finalize them and put the finishing touch during the visit (to China), I will be very pleased.”
