Putin will visit China on inaugural trip of his 5th term

The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, will make a state visit to China on Thursday and Friday (May 16 and 17, 2024). The trip, according to a note from the Kremlin, is to “outline priorities for greater practical cooperation” between the 2 countries. This will be the first international trip since Putin took office on May 7th for his 5th term.

According to the Kremlin, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping will “hold an in-depth exchange of views on international and regional issues”. After the meeting, they must sign a joint declaration and “several bilateral agreements”.

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping will participate in a gala event marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between Russia and China.

The Russian president is also expected to meet with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang to discuss “bilateral cooperation in trade, economics and humanitarian affairs”.

Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, China and India have become the main commercial allies of the country led by Vladimir Putin. In 2023, trade volume between China and Russia increased and reached more than US$200 billion.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in early April that Moscow and China agreed to discuss ways to deepen security cooperation in Europe and Asia. The measure would be to counter US attempts to impose its will in the region.

The United States sided with Ukraine in the conflict with Russia. Lavrov declared in February that “the realities of a multipolar world” are causing a “aggressive reaction” in the USA and other Western countries, which seek to maintain their “domain” and yours “hegemony”.

North Americans’ relationship with China has been deteriorating since US President Joe Biden took office at the beginning of 2021. In a phone call with Biden earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the negative factors in the Asian country’s relationship with the United States have grown.