Russian President Vladimir Putin has landed in Beijing for a high profile two day state visit, marking his arrival less than a week after US President Donald Trump concluded his own trip to the Chinese capital. Putin arrived late Tuesday night at Beijing Capital International Airport, where he was greeted on a red carpet by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and an honorary military band. The back to back visits by leaders from Washington and Moscow underscore China’s growing confidence and position as a central diplomatic player in global politics. 

The Russian delegation includes five vice premiers and eight ministers, signaling deep administrative coordination between the two powers. Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping officially began their high level bilateral talks at the Great Hall of the People on Wednesday morning. The timing of the trip was explicitly planned to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Sino Russian Treaty of Friendship, allowing both leaders to publicly emphasize that their “all weather" strategic alliance remains completely unshakeable. 

While Donald Trump's prior meetings focused on stabilising turbulent Sino-American trade relations, Putin’s summit focuses heavily on securing additional long term energy cooperation. Discussions between Xi and Putin are expected to focus heavily on the pricing and infrastructure parameters of the major Power of Siberia 2 natural gas pipeline project. Despite intense pressure from Western nations urging Beijing to pull back its support for Moscow, China continues to act as a vital economic lifeline for sanctioned Russian trade.