No sooner has US President Donald Trump concluded his visit to Beijing than Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing to visit China next week. This information was reported today, Friday, in a dispatch published by the Hong Kong-based media outlet, the South China Morning Post.
Citing relevant sources, the publication stated that Putin’s brief, one-day visit is likely to take place on May 20. The sources further indicated that this trip forms part of the regular bilateral diplomatic engagement between Beijing and Moscow; consequently, the likelihood of any major ceremonial parades or lavish reception ceremonies during this visit is low.
However, neither Beijing nor Moscow has yet officially confirmed the specific dates for the visit.
President Trump concluded his three-day visit to China today, Friday. This marked the first visit by a US President to China in nine years. During his trip, Trump held meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss various critical issues, including trade, Taiwan, and conflicts in the Middle East.
Through this upcoming visit by Putin, China is poised to set a historic precedent: for the first time ever—and outside the context of any multilateral summit or major international event—it will have hosted the leaders of the world’s two foremost superpowers within the same calendar month.
Prior to this, the most recent meeting between Xi Jinping and Putin took place virtually on February 4 of this year.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated yesterday, Thursday, that preparations for Putin’s visit to China are nearing completion. He remarked, “We will make a formal announcement regarding the visit very soon. Preparations for the trip are underway—one could say they are already complete, with only a few last-minute details remaining to be finalized. The visit will take place in the very near future.”
When asked whether Putin’s potential visit was contingent upon the US President’s trip to Beijing, Peskov clarified that it was not. Rather, he noted that the Russian leadership had been optimistic about this visit well in advance.
Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters today that Beijing and Moscow are maintaining close contact regarding preparations for the meeting between the two presidents. He added that further details on the matter would be released at an appropriate time. If Vladimir Putin’s visit proves successful, China will set a unique international record. It will become the only country to have hosted the heads of government of the remaining four permanent members of the UN Security Council within a span of just a few months.
The five permanent members of the Security Council are Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and China. Previously, French President Emmanuel Macron visited China in December of last year, followed by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in January of this year.
