Putin to Visit China for Talks on Bilateral Relations and Gas Pipeline

Russia says it has "very serious expectations" for President Vladimir Putin's trip to China this week.

Mr Putin arrives in Beijing on Tuesday, local time, for a two-day visit, meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a bid to "develop their privileged partnership", according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

The Russian delegation will be made up of relevant deputy prime ministers, government ministers and company heads, including oil producer Rosneft, and gas firms Novatek and Gazprom.

While the visit comes days after Mr Xi hosted US President Donald Trump in Beijing, the Kremlin insists there was "no correlation" between the visits, with this one planned well in advance to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship.

During the trip, the Russian leader will discuss all areas of bilateral relations with his Chinese counterpart, including the proposed Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said close ties between Moscow and Beijing were increasingly important, given global crises.

The proposed Power of Siberia 2, long under discussion, could one day deliver an additional 50 billion cubic metres of gas a year from Russia's Arctic gas fields, via Mongolia, to China.

Russia boosted oil supplies to China by more than a third to 31 million metric tons in the first quarter of this year, according to Mr Ushakov.

Key international issues to be discussed

Mr Putin and Mr Xi are also expected to "exchange views on key international and regional issues" and sign a joint declaration at the conclusion of their talks, according to the Kremlin.

Mr Trump's visit to China last week marked the first visit to Beijing by a US president in nearly a decade.

Whereas relations between China and Russia have deepened in recent years, particularly since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.

The war left Moscow shunned on the global stage and heavily reliant on Beijing for trade due to Western sanctions.

When Mr Putin visited China in September 2025, Mr Xi welcomed his counterpart as an "old friend" while Mr Putin similarly addressed Mr Xi as "dear friend".

The Russian leader is also scheduled to visit China for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen in November.