Putin arrives in Beijing for two-day Xi summit as China hosts Russia, US leaders in same month

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for a two-day visit during which he will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, with the agenda spanning the US-Iran war, energy supplies and the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline.

Putin was received by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the airport before heading to the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. The visit comes a week after US President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing, making this the first time China has hosted leaders of both Russia and the United States in the same month outside a multilateral setting. Earlier reporting had described the trip as a one-day stop on May 20, but the Kremlin has confirmed a two-day visit with talks scheduled for Wednesday.

Putin is leading a larger delegation that includes senior officials and business leaders. Topics on the formal agenda include bilateral relations, the ongoing US-Iran war, and energy cooperation — specifically hydrocarbons, gas supplies, and the proposed Power of Siberia 2 pipeline that would carry Russian gas south through Mongolia to Chinese consumers. Putin and Xi are expected to sign a joint statement and additional agreements.

Putin will also meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang to discuss trade and broader economic cooperation. Ahead of his arrival, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang met Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov for preparatory talks.

In a video address before departing Moscow, Putin described relations with Beijing as having reached an “unprecedented level” and stressed the partnership was “not directed against anyone.” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in a parallel briefing on the recent Xi-Trump summit, framed the back-to-back receptions as evidence of Beijing’s growing role as a mediator in a fractured world order.

For Sri Lanka, the Russia-China energy track remains directly relevant: Moscow has been positioned as a potential mediator in the US-Iran nuclear standoff, and Russian oil supply discussions have shadowed Colombo’s energy policy for over a year.