Why Vladimir Putin’s visit to China is more important for Moscow than for Beijing

Beijing once again becomes, in a few days, the epicenter of world diplomacy. After the highly publicized visit of Donald Trump between May 13 and 15, Chinese President Xi Jinping will receive Vladimir Putin from Tuesday, May 19 for two days of discussions.

Officially, the two leaders must strengthen their “strategic cooperation”. But in fact, this sequence above all shows to what extent Moscow needs Beijing today, both to support its economy and to avoid almost general international isolation since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, in 2022. Franceinfo returns to the reasons for this diplomatic imbalance.

Because China has become indispensable to the Russian economy

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, China has become Russia’s main economic partner. Beijing now absorbs a massive share of Russian exports, particularly in the energy sector. The specialist research company Enerdata thus mentioned in September the signing of an agreement around the Siberian Force 2 gas pipeline project, intended to connect Russia to China via Mongolia.

This gas pipeline could transport up to 50 billion cubic meters of gas per year for thirty years, while increasing deliveries already ensured by existing infrastructure. Chinese purchases of Russian oil and gas allow Moscow to continue to finance its economy and its war effort despite Western sanctions.

According to data from the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (Crea), China purchased nearly $319 billion (272 billion euros) worth of Russian fossil fuels between the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and May 15, 2026. China is moreover the leading buyer of Russian fossil fuels ahead of the European Union and India, according to a Crea graph. In an article published by The Guardianresearcher Joseph Webster adds that Beijing could seek to further secure its energy supplies from Moscow, particularly in view of a potential conflict around Taiwan.

Because Vladimir Putin seeks to show that he is not isolated

This visit comes in a delicate diplomatic context for the Kremlin. The peace discussions initiated under American mediation in the fall of 2025 around the war in Ukraine are at an impasse while the conflict in the Middle East monopolizes a significant part of international attention. In this context, appearing alongside Xi Jinping allows Vladimir Putin to demonstrate the maintenance of strong international support, despite Western criticism against Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine.

The Kremlin also insists on the strategic dimension of this relationship. The head of Russian diplomacy Sergei Lavrov affirmed on May 15 that the links between Moscow and Beijing were “deeper and stronger than traditional political and military alliances” before adding that it was a “a new type of relationship that stabilizes world politics, the world economy more than any other factor”.

Because Beijing can dialogue with other great powers

For China, this visit is important, but not vital. A few days before Vladimir Putin’s arrival, Xi Jinping already received Donald Trump for a summit devoted in particular to trade, Taiwan and tensions in the Middle East. This diplomatic sequence clearly illustrates the particular position of Beijing, capable of dialogue successively with the United States and Russia.

Unlike Russia, China retains more room for diplomatic, commercial and strategic maneuver on a global scale. In an analysis published on October 2, 2025, the European Union Institute for Security Studies underlines the character “deeply asymmetrical” of the economic relationship between Moscow and Beijing, Russia becoming “more and more dependent” of China. The institute adds that“In return, China has taken advantage of the asymmetry of this relationship by using Russia as a market to absorb its exports”.