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Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping Meeting in Beijing

Wednesday, May 20, 2026
5 min read
Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping Meeting in Beijing

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping met in Beijing on Wednesday. Just a standard bilateral chat, focusing on the usual mix of global stuff and their own relationship.

Al Jazeera reported that Xi Jinping pushed for both sides to support each other’s development. And work toward some kind of fairer global system.

Putin, naturally, brought up stability. He insisted that Russia still matters, especially with the West Asia mess going on. Moscow, he said, remains a reliable energy source, even now.

This meeting happens right after Donald Trump visited China. So, all eyes are on the dynamic between the Chinese and Russian leaders. How it plays out, what comes out of it—everyone’s watching.

Xi is famous for hosting leaders over tea. It’s part of his style, a way to show regard.

Think about the history. Back in May 2024, when Xi hosted Putin, they were outdoors, just tea in Zhongnanhai, that old imperial garden now housing the Party headquarters. A different vibe then.

Trump’s trip felt different, though. That walk through a secret garden with Xi, the tea, the Temple of Heaven tour. It seemed more carefully staged.

Graeme Smith, from the Australian National University, pointed out that Beijing is clearly enjoying being the center of all this world attention.

“Beijing is loving the optics of this,” Smith noted. He suggested Xi was getting a political boost from both Trump’s preference for big displays and Putin’s public camaraderie.

State media in China has been pushing this narrative. They highlight these back-to-back visits by leaders from two powers that are deeply split—politically, militarily, economically.

These visits are being framed as China gaining ground globally, especially while everything else is fracturing.

Putin arrived in Beijing Tuesday evening. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi welcomed him. There was an honour guard, Chinese youths waving flags. A typical welcome, you know?

Trade between Russia and China has been shaky lately. It was recovering, a little, after a dip last year.

Two-way trade actually ticked up 16.1 per cent in the first four months of this year compared to the same time last year.

Still, the sheer volume is massive. They hit 1.63 trillion yuan, or about 240 billion dollars, in 2025. But that number is already a drop from the record they hit in 2024. A five-year decline, actually.

Putin made it clear that this slowdown needed to stop. He underlined China’s importance for Russia, especially since the sanctions from the Ukraine war keep hitting Moscow’s economy hard.

The Russian leader traveled with a huge delegation. Deputy prime ministers, ministers, heads of major state corporations and banks were all there.

The Kremlin, they said, has serious expectations for Putin’s visit.

It wasn't just talking. There was a signing ceremony, a big banquet, and that informal tea meeting where they were supposed to hash out big international issues.

The Kremlin hinted at actual deals. Around forty documents were expected to be signed. Plus, they anticipated a forty-seven-page joint statement about strengthening ties.

And they were supposed to aGree on something bigger. A declaration supporting a multipolar world order, what the Kremlin called a “new type of international relations.”

Industry experts are also whispering about the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline. Connecting Russia to northern China. That’s likely on the table for discussion.

That pipeline has gained real traction. The China-Russia “no limits” partnership has gotten stronger since the Western sanctions started hitting Russia over the Ukraine war. That connection, that pipeline, it matters now.

Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board

Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.

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