Putin Trip Aims to Show China Ties Unshakeable After Trump Pomp

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Beijing on Tuesday for talks with his Chinese counterpart and his "long-time good friend" Xi Jinping, intending to show their ties are unshakeable days after a visit by Donald Trump. 

The confirmation of Putin's trip came just hours after Trump wrapped up his visit on Friday, the first by a US president to China in nearly a decade and one aimed at stabilising their turbulent relations.

Putin



and Xi are set to discuss how to "further strengthen" Russia and China's strategic partnership and "exchange views on key international and regional issues", according to a Kremlin statement. 

Their ties have deepened since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Putin visiting Beijing every year since. Moscow is diplomatically isolated on the global stage and is heavily dependent economically on Beijing, with China now the main buyer of sanctioned Russian oil.