Russia hopes to reach out to China to join in “establishing a multipolar world” that presents a “new type of international relations”
Less than a week after Xi Jinping rolled out the red carpet for US President Donald Trump, the Chinese leader is welcoming another guest of honor – and this time he’s a close ally.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to arrive in the Chinese capital this Tuesday for a state visit clearly planned to show alignment between Beijing and Moscow in the face of global geopolitical turmoil.
Both Beijing and Moscow are navigating shaky relations with Trump’s United States and weighing whether they should play any role in helping end the U.S.-Iran conflict, which has compromised global oil supplies and diverted Washington’s attention from Russia’s own years-long war in Ukraine.
The fact that Xi is hosting, within a week, two world leaders who are embroiled in seemingly insoluble conflicts of their own making, is unlikely to go unnoticed by the Chinese government, which has used Trump’s war with Iran, in particular, to promote China as an alternative and responsible global leader.
Both Beijing and Moscow have also drawn inspiration from Trump’s radical shift in traditional US foreign policy to advance their own vision of a world that is not dominated by American power or a US-led alliance system.
Trump and Xi shaking hands in Beijing (CCTV)
This week’s visit is Putin’s 25th to China in his more than twenty years as president – a period in which China and Russia have strengthened cooperation in trade, security and diplomacy, driven by a mutual distrust of Washington and an apparent personal affinity between Putin and Xi – who often refer to each other as “dear” or “old” friends. The two have met more than 40 times.
This is a state visit, so Putin is likely to be welcomed in a ceremony with similar levels of pomp and circumstance – from red carpet to military band – to that given by Xi to Trump last week.
In a message he traditionally releases before his trips to China, Putin praised relations between Russia and China, saying they had reached a “truly unprecedented level.”
The two sides support each other “on issues that affect the fundamental interests of both countries, including the protection of sovereignty and state unity”, he said in a message released on Tuesday.
Before the visit, Chinese state media also published articles praising the “unshakable” ties between the two countries in the midst of a “turbulent international situation”.
An article in the state-run Global Times newspaper also presented the nearly back-to-back visits by U.S. and Russian leaders as a sign that China was “rapidly emerging as the focal point of global diplomacy.”
On the agenda: Trump, energy and the world order
Xi’s recent meeting with Trump, the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as cooperation between the two leaders in the areas of energy, trade and security, are expected to be some of the topics of discussions scheduled for this Wednesday.
They should also consolidate their aligned world view in a declaration on the “establishment of a multipolar world” and a “new type of international relations”, said Kremlin adviser Yury Ushakov earlier this week.
This is not the first time that Putin and Xi have held talks in close proximity with the US. They spoke hours after Trump’s inauguration last year, days after Trump spoke to Xi. Putin also briefed Xi on previous talks between the US and Russia on ending the war in Ukraine.
For Putin, the recent losses of his army in the war in Ukraine, which has lasted more than four years, could increase pressure on the meeting.
China’s purchases of Russian oil and exports of dual-use goods have been crucial to Moscow’s war effort. They have also made the relationship increasingly unbalanced, in which Moscow depends heavily on its wealthier and more technologically advanced neighbor.
Russia is already China’s main source of crude oil. Chinese buyers have been snapping up oil at low prices since the imposition of Western sanctions following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Conflict in the Middle East and the risk of future instability could now lead Beijing to depend more on Russia for fuel supplies.
Xi and Putin are expected to discuss the Siberian Force 2 gas pipeline this week, a long-rumored project that advanced during Putin’s last visit to China in September 2025.
But not just for energy reasons, the conflict in Iran will probably have great importance in the negotiations, especially after Trump’s visit.
The American leader sought consensus with China on aspects of the conflict, with a White House statement stating that the two leaders agreed that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons and that the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened.
Both China and Russia are close partners of Tehran and have played a key role in protecting it from American sanctions in recent years. China is also the main buyer of Iranian crude oil, which is the target of US sanctions.
Russia provided Iran with security information about the location of American troops and facilities, as reported by CNN at the beginning of the conflict. Last month, sources told CNN that China was preparing to deliver weapons to Iran – a claim Beijing denies.
Now, the question is whether both countries are interested in participating in a peace process, given that Tehran had already expressed interest in China and Russia assuming the role of security guarantors.
Playing a role in ending the conflict could potentially earn the United States goodwill, but it would be a cautious strategy by both leaders as they seek to protect their own global partnerships, interests and ambitions.
CNN’s Anna Chernova contributed to this story
