The trip underscores deepening China-Russia ties after Xi’s May visit to Moscow for WWII commemorations.
Russia and China continue to tighten their strategic partnership, with the Kremlin confirming that President Vladimir Putin will travel to Beijing this September to join President Xi Jinping in marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in the Second Sino-Japanese War — the Asian front of World War II.
Kremlin Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu announced the visit during a Moscow meeting with Chen Wenqing, head of Political and Legal Affairs at the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee. Shoigu emphasized that the event will serve as an important display of the “strategic partnership and relationship” between Moscow and Beijing, which he described as “the main stabilizing factor in world affairs.”
“Moscow and Beijing firmly support each other on key issues for both nations. While they are not a political-military alliance, Russia-China relations go beyond this form of interstate interaction and are currently experiencing the best period in their history,” Shoigu said, stressing the resilience of their bond against outside pressures.
The September visit will follow Xi Jinping’s trip to Moscow earlier in May, where he participated in ceremonies commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. Welcoming Xi, Putin said, “I am very happy for this new meeting,” highlighting the closeness of their diplomatic relationship. Xi was the highest-ranking foreign leader among nearly 30 present in Moscow, underscoring China’s consistent diplomatic and economic support for Russia — particularly regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine, despite Beijing’s official claims of neutrality.
“The mutual political trust between China and Russia is deepening, and their practical cooperation is growing ever stronger,” Xi said during his Moscow visit. He pledged to work with Russia to shoulder the “special responsibilities of major world powers” in resisting what they call unilateralism and hegemonic intimidation.
His statements came shortly after reports emerged of Chinese fighters among Russian ranks in Ukraine, as well as Ukrainian intelligence confirmations that China has been covertly supplying specialized machinery and military-grade chemicals to Russia.
As part of their expanding cooperation, Xi and Putin announced a new investment promotion and defense agreement worth over $200 billion, adding to the nearly $245 billion in bilateral trade recorded in 2024. Putin highlighted the energy sector as the “locomotive” driving the nations’ economic partnership, with further joint initiatives expected to bolster their already robust trade relations.
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