Deutsche WellePoliticsChinaChina’s moment? Putin heads to Beijing after Trump courts XiXin LinMay 18, 2026
Just days after hosting Donald Trump, China’s Xi Jinping is set to welcome Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The meetings underscore Beijing’s growing role in a fractured geopolitical landscape.
Ostensibly, Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s visit to China this week to meet with his counterpart, Xi Jinping, is taking place to mark the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Sino‑Russian Treaty of Good‑Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation.
But the timing of the trip — just days after US President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing — is noteworthy, and highlights China’s influential position in a geopolitical landscape that is increasingly fractured and marked by great power rivalries.
What Beijing wants — and can get — from Moscow
“China does not want war; it is not in China’s long-term interests,” Soong told DW. China is therefore unlikely to exert much influence in current war zones.
“It may not be in China’s interest to see the Ukraine war continue,” he added, “but it would pose a greater risk for China to see a regime collapse.” Beijing would view the collapse of the regimes in both Iran and Russia as a negative outcome.
Soong argues that a weakened or unstable Russia would pose immediate strategic risks for Beijing. The two countries share a long border, and Moscow remains an important strategic partner for China. That means Beijing is unlikely to want Russia to lose too badly, even as it avoids taking on a more direct role in the war.
China has also been affected by tensions around the Strait of Hormuz and the resulting disruption to oil supplies. Given domestic challenges such as industrial overcapacity, China cannot easily export its goods if key regions are disrupted by conflict.
Analysts say the turmoil in the Middle East could make Russian energy more attractive to Beijing. Russia accounted for nearly 18% of China’s oil imports in 2025, compared with around 13% from Iran and roughly 42% from other Gulf countries.
Western sanctions have pushed Moscow to redirect exports eastward, while the US-Israeli war against Iran continues to raise worries about maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Russia needs the Chinese market, while China can secure Russian energy at a discount.
Conflicts remain after Trump-Xi summit ends
Edited by: Karl Sexton
