Beijing/Singapore: Chinese leader Xi Jinping is set to host his “old friend” Vladimir Putin less than a week after Donald Trump’s high-profile visit, as Beijing seeks to project itself as a stable and predictable power in a world rocked by trade tensions, wars and an energy crisis.
China and Russia have hailed Putin’s two-day trip this week – his 25th visit to China – as further evidence of their “all-weather” partnership, even as the West urges Beijing to pressure Moscow to end its war in Ukraine.
While China presents itself as a peace broker in the conflict and a neutral party, Putin says China and Russia support each other’s “core interests” as he pursues additional energy deals with the world’s second-largest economy in the face of Western sanctions.
“The Xi-Putin summit will telegraph to the world that the China-Russia strategic partnership remains the cornerstone of both countries’ foreign policies and that any US attempt to drive a wedge between them is destined to fail,” said Ian Storey, senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.
The visit follows Trump’s trip last week, which generated positive optics but few major trade deals. Xi described Sino-US ties as a relationship of “strategic stability”, challenging the framework of “strategic competition” associated with former US President Joe Biden.
Welcoming foreign leaders, China is seeking to bolster its image as a pillar of global stability, in contrast to US efforts to end the war in Ukraine and contain a separate conflict with Iran that has disrupted global energy flows.
Beijing seeks to appease
During state visits, Beijing tries to reassure Western trading partners, including the US, of its rise as an economic and technological powerhouse while minimizing risks to their ties.
The White House said after Trump’s visit to China that a consensus had been reached on issues that would increase “stability” for global businesses and consumers.
At the same time, China’s engagement with countries such as Russia also reinforces its message that its diplomacy is consistent and unaffected by the actions of strategic partners, despite Western pressure.
“It is unrealistic to expect Xi to pressure Putin to end the war in Ukraine. Xi does not have that kind of influence over Putin, and in any case the Chinese understand how a defeat for Russia in Ukraine would weaken Putin’s political standing,” Story said.
“As such, Beijing will continue to provide Moscow with diplomatic cover at the UN, economic aid and dual-use technology for Russia’s armed forces,” he said.
China says it has never provided lethal weapons to either side of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and strictly controls exports of dual-use items.
“During the visit, the two heads of state will exchange views on cooperation in all areas of bilateral relations, as well as on international and regional issues of mutual interest,” Guo Jiakun, spokesman at the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a regular press conference on Monday.
Power of the Siberia 2 pipeline
During Putin’s last visit in September 2025, Russia and China agreed to build the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, but have yet to agree on a price.
Energy supply shortages linked to the conflict in Iran could support Russia’s case for the pipeline as a long-term source of gas. However, Beijing is expected to stick to its diversification strategy by discussing supply deals with Turkmenistan and Russia, a Beijing-based industry expert said.
China may agree to a broad agreement Russia covering annual supply volumes and terms such as supply flexibility and seasonality, leaving prices open, said the person, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the subject.
Price negotiations can take years.
Xi in 2014 announced a fourth pipeline linking Turkmenistan’s giant Galkynysh gas field to northwest China, but the project has yet to be finalized due to price disputes and complexities involving Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, through which the pipeline transits.
China remains the largest buyer of Russian oil, including pipeline supplies and seaborne shipments.
Despite Western sanctions on Russia’s oil exports, independent Chinese refiners are regular customers, with transactions settled mainly in Chinese yuan. State oil refiners also recently resumed purchases after a brief reprieve from US sanctions.
Russia agreed in 2025 to supply an additional 2.5 million metric tons of oil per year to China via Kazakhstan.
“In principle, we have reached a high degree of consensus regarding taking a serious – indeed, very substantial – step forward in our cooperation within the oil and gas sectors,” Putin told reporters on May 9.
“If we manage to finalize and conclude them during the visit, I will be very pleased.”
