The Kremlin said on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin would embark on a two-day state visit to China on May 19, immediately following US President Donald Trump’s trip to Beijing, according to the Straits Times.
Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to “exchange views on key international and regional issues” and formalize their talks with a joint declaration.
The visit will also feature talks between Putin and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, focusing on economic and trade cooperation.
The announcement of Putin’s visit came on the heels of Trump‘s conclusion of his visit to Beijing on Friday, marking the first trip to China by a US president in nearly a decade.
Beijing has consistently called for diplomatic negotiations to put an end to the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
However, it has refrained from condemning Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, instead positioning itself as a neutral party.
China also denied supplying Moscow with weapons or military components for its defense industry.
It even accused Western nations of prolonging Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II by arming Ukraine.
Since Western countries imposed economic sanctions on Russian oil and gas over the conflict, China has emerged as Moscow’s key economic partner.
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