Barely had Air Force One lifted off from Chinese soil when another world leader announced he was heading the same way. The Kremlin confirmed this week that Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to China on Tuesday and Wednesday, following a personal invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping. The timing is hard to miss U.S. President Donald Trump had only just wrapped up his own state visit to Beijing on Friday.
The two leaders are expected to sit down and talk about the state of their countries’ relationship, exchanging views on pressing international and regional issues. When the meetings conclude, Putin and Xi plan to sign a joint statement along with a number of bilateral documents, signaling that this visit is about more than handshakes and photo opportunities.
Also on the schedule is a meeting with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang, adding another layer of diplomatic weight to the trip.
The visit carries symbolic meaning beyond current politics. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between Russia and China, the foundational agreement that has shaped the close, strategic partnership both nations have carefully built over a quarter century.
It was only last year that Putin was last seen in Beijing, when China hosted grand military parades marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
The back to back visits first Trump, now Putin, paint a vivid picture of Beijing’s growing role as a destination that no major power can afford to ignore. Xi Jinping, it seems, is keeping very busy company this spring.
