President Xi Jinping has arrived in Moscow for a high-profile state visit underscoring efforts to strengthen ties with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin amid growing trade pressures from the US and scepticism from European allies.
Upon landing at Moscow’s Vnukovo-2 airport on Wednesday afternoon local time, Xi expressed confidence that the trip would deepen bilateral cooperation between the two nations.
“I will meet with President Putin to have an in-depth exchange of views over bilateral relations, practical cooperation as well as major international and regional issues of mutual interest,” Xi said in a written statement.
Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.
“[This] will inject strong impetus into the growth of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era.”
He also hailed the friendship between China and Russia, calling the two countries “good neighbours that cannot be moved away, true friends who share weal and woe, and good partners that enable each other’s success”.
Hours before Xi touched down, local authorities said a number of Ukrainian drones were brought down near the capital, and airports across Moscow were forced to temporarily shut down.
This will be Xi’s 11th trip to Russia since taking office in 2013, and his third talk with Putin so far this year.
Xi’s plane was escorted by a Russian Air Force fighter jet after entering Russia’s airspace on Wednesday, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
The Chinese leader was greeted at the airport by senior Russian officials, including deputy prime minister Tatyana Golikova. Among the Chinese delegation are Xi’s chief of staff Cai Qi and Wang Yi, the foreign minister.
Xi will have a formal meeting with Putin on Thursday. The war in Ukraine, Russia-US relations, along with cooperation under the Brics grouping of developing economies and the Group of 20 will be high on the agenda, according to Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov.
The pair will also discuss economic and energy issues, including the proposed Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, before issuing joint statements and briefing reporters, Ushakov said, according to Russian news agency TASS.
After an official breakfast, the two leaders will move to “a one-on-one conversation over tea”, he added.
In a show of solidarity, Xi will also be what Putin described as a “main guest” in the Red Square parade on Friday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
An estimated 27 million Soviet citizens perished in the war, and more than 35 million Chinese lost their lives during the Japanese invasion.
In the speech at the airport, Xi reaffirmed that China stood with Russia to safeguard “the victorious legacies” of WWII.
“In the face of ... a volatile international landscape fraught with instability, China and Russia ... will jointly safeguard the outcomes of WWII, firmly uphold the UN-centred international system and the international order underpinned by international law, resolutely oppose hegemonism and power politics,” he said.
Xi’s trip to Moscow comes at a time when China is grappling with immense pressure from the US after President Donald Trump imposed some of his toughest tariffs on Chinese products.
Responding with retaliatory levies to imports from the US, China has also portrayed itself as a stable and long-term partner committed to economic integration and global order during turbulent times, courting countries from Southeast Asia to Europe and Latin America.
Senior officials from China and the US are set to meet in Switzerland later this week, in discussions that may allow the two sides to test each other’s positions before walking into a lengthy process of trade negotiations.
Putin, who has faced isolation from the West since his invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, has moved closer to China, the world’s second economy whose purchases of Russian energy and other raw materials have helped Moscow to keep the economy afloat amid sanctions from the US and Europe.
More from South China Morning Post:
- Xi Jinping’s Russia visit balances symbolism and strategy as Europe watches
- China’s Xi Jinping launches Russia trip with thanks for Moscow over Taiwan
- China’s Xi Jinping readies for ‘mutual trust’ mission with Putin in Russia
For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2025.
