This week, Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit China for discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping. This meeting comes on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent visit to Beijing, adding a layer of international intrigue to the diplomatic scene.
Putin’s visit is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, and it is expected to draw significant attention as China strives to balance its relationship with the United States while maintaining its longstanding alliance with Russia.
The Kremlin has announced that Putin and Xi will focus on strengthening economic ties and addressing significant global and regional issues. This visit also marks the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship.
Wang Zichen, deputy secretary-general at the Beijing-based Centre for China & Globalization, commented, “While Trump’s visit aimed to stabilize the world’s most crucial bilateral relations, Putin’s visit focuses on reaffirming a solid strategic partnership.”
He added, “For China, managing these two diplomatic tracks is not a matter of choosing one over the other.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping met during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, last August. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)