Russian President Vladimir Putin is traveling to China today, Tuesday, for a two-day official visit. He will be in Beijing on May 19 and 20. Yuri Ushakov of the Kremlin stated that the visit’s agenda will be extremely busy and significant. During the visit, the Russian President will hold a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Additionally, wide-ranging discussions will take place between the two nations. The two leaders will inaugurate joint initiatives in the education sector and engage in informal discussions regarding various issues of global importance.

This report was provided by the Russian news agency TASS. Furthermore, it has been reported that Putin will also hold a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. That meeting is expected to focus primarily on trade and economic cooperation. The strategic partnership between Russia and China has grown stronger over the past 25 years. Since the signing of the treaty on neighborly relations and cooperation between the two countries, this relationship has been viewed as a model for neighboring states. The leaders of both nations have also repeatedly underscored the importance of this relationship.

For this reason, high-level meetings between Moscow and Beijing are held on a regular basis. Since 2013, Putin and Xi have met approximately 40 times—whether in various bilateral meetings or at other conferences. China maintains an annual bilateral trade volume exceeding $200 billion with Russia. This visit by Putin carries particular significance, coming less than a week after U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to China.