As Russian President Vladimir Putin prepares for a visit to Beijing this week, he and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged “congratulatory letters” on Sunday, underscoring the strengthening ties between their nations. This visit comes shortly after former US President Donald Trump concluded his high-stakes summit in China. According to reports, Xi highlighted the continuous deepening of bilateral cooperation between China and Russia, marking the 30th anniversary of their strategic partnership this year.
Putin is set to arrive in China on Tuesday evening, with a meeting scheduled with Xi on Wednesday morning. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed that discussions between the two leaders would cover all aspects of their bilateral relationship, including the proposed Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline. The sequence of high-profile visits to China, hosting both US and Russian leaders within a week, has drawn significant attention, with analysts noting the rarity of such diplomatic engagements in the post-Cold War era.
The evolving relationship between China and Russia has raised concerns in the West, particularly following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Western diplomats and analysts argue that China’s economic and diplomatic support for Russia has played a role in sustaining the conflict. Since 2022, bilateral trade between the two countries has surged to record levels, with China purchasing over a quarter of Russia’s exports. Notably, China’s acquisition of Russian crude oil has generated substantial revenue for Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine.
Since the conflict began, China has bought more than $367 billion of Russian fossil fuels, according to data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. These purchases have bolstered China’s energy security, especially as tensions in the Middle East have disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Although Trump’s discussions with Xi last week did not heavily focus on the Ukraine war or Sino-Russian relations, the meetings centered on trade, Taiwan, and the Middle East crisis. China agreed with Trump on the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while Xi cautioned Trump about the potential for conflict over Taiwan.
Joseph Webster, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, suggested that Taiwan might be a key underlying topic in the Xi-Putin meeting. He speculated that Beijing could be aiming to secure additional fossil fuel deals with Moscow to ensure its energy supply in case of future conflicts. Expanding the capacity of Russian oil pipelines to China could significantly bolster Beijing’s oil security in a Taiwan-related contingency. Meanwhile, Russia has been urging China to advance the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline project, which would add 50 billion cubic meters of capacity to their existing network.
