Russian president Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on May 19th for a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Putin said this week he was “confident” he and Xi Jinping would “do everything possible to deepen the Russia-China partnership.”
The visit comes as the two nuclear powers continue to strengthen cooperation, which is underpinned by China’s economic weight and Russia’s vast oil production.
This week marks Putin’s 25th trip to China, according to Beijing’s foreign ministry. He previously visited China in September as Xi’s guest of honour at a military parade.
The China-Russia relationship, however, is not balanced. Bilateral trade has increased significantly since the start of the war in Ukraine, rising to more than twice the level recorded in 2020, according to data from the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS). The report also notes that over 70% of China’s imports from Russia are mineral fuels, while Russian oil exports to China have grown by around 30% since 2022.
However, imports from Russia account for only around 5% of China’s imports in 2025. In contrast, China accounts for more than a third of Russia’s imports and more than a quarter of its exports.
Both countries share opposition to a world order dominated by the United States and the West, and are also partners of Iran and North Korea.
The trip comes days after Donald Trump visited Beijing, which came at a particularly vulnerable moment for Europe, as Brussels struggles to carve out an independent position between two states that negotiate from strength.
Mr Trump called Xi a “great leader” and spoke of “fantastic trade deals” and shared interests on issues including Ukraine and Iran.
