Putin Expected to Visit China Next Week, Reports Say

May 15, 2026

President Vladimir Putin is expected to travel to China next week, the South China Morning Post reported Friday, citing sources familiar with the matter, who said the Russian leader’s trip would unlikely feature the same “scale and pomp” seen during the U.S.-China summit in Beijing this week.

The upcoming visit, reportedly planned for just Wednesday, was described by anonymous sources as part of “Moscow’s routine dealings with Beijing, with little expectation that there would be an elaborate parade or welcome.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed Friday that preparations are underway for Putin’s trip to China, telling reporters that a date would be announced “very, very soon.”

“The agenda is clear. First and foremost, it is our bilateral relations, which are special relations of a privileged strategic partnership,” Peskov said during a daily briefing.

He said Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping will “exchange views” on the Chinese leader’s meeting with Trump this week.

“We hope to get this information first-hand when we’re in China,” Peskov said.

Trump received a red-carpet welcome on Wednesday for his first visit to China since 2017 during his previous term in the White House. He left on Friday, saying he had made “fantastic trade deals” with Xi.

The South China Morning Post reported that the back-to-back visits by Putin and Trump will mark the first time China has hosted Russian and U.S. leaders for bilateral talks in the same month, hinting that Beijing seeks to strike a balance in its relations with the two countries.

Putin last visited China in September for a regional summit of leaders. The last time the Kremlin chief held bilateral talks with Xi was in May 2024, shortly after his re-election.

Read more about: China , Putin

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