Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, praising the continuous growth of Russia-China economic cooperation despite external factors and Western pressure.
On 20 May 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The meeting included an official welcoming ceremony before delegations from both countries began bilateral talks.
During the talks, Putin praised the Russia-China economic cooperation as strong and dynamic despite unfavorable external conditions, noting that trade between the two countries has increased more than 30 times over the past 25 years and that for several years the total trade value has exceeded 200 billion U.S. dollars, or approximately 7.3 trillion baht.
Putin’s visit to China occurred just days after U.S. President Donald Trump visited China and met with Xi Jinping, drawing close attention to the Russia-China leaders’ meeting amid global great power rivalry. Analysts see China as striving to maintain a balance between stable relations with the U.S. and its strategic partnership with Russia amid rising geopolitical tensions worldwide.
Source: AP