Beijing/Moscow, May 4: Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia from May 7-10 to attend the Victory Day Parade in Moscow and hold “strategic communication” with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on a series of major international and regional issues, it was announced on Sunday.
This will be Xi’s first visit to Moscow after Donald Trump took charge of the US Presidency. Xi last visited Russia in October 2024 for the BRICS Summit.
President Xi will pay a State Visit to Russia from May 7 to 10 and attend the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War in Moscow, a spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement in Beijing on Sunday.
President Xi will have “strategic communication” with President Putin on China-Russia relations under new circumstances and on a series of major international and regional issues, the statement said, in an apparent reference to the pressure being mounted by Trump on Putin to end the Ukraine war and his tariff war against China.
In Moscow, the Kremlin said that the two leaders would sign several bilateral inter-governmental and inter-departmental documents during Xi’s official visit from May 7-10 at the personal invitation of President Putin.
“During the talks, the main issues of further development of relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction, as well as current issues of the international and regional agenda will be discussed,” it said.
Russia had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Victory Day parade, but it was decided that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh would attend the event. However, Singh is also set to skip the Victory Day parade and his deputy Sanjay Seth is likely to represent India at the event.
The move to send the Minister of State for Defence to the May 9 ceremony comes amid increasing tensions between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack.
Leaders of 20 countries, including Brazil, Venezuela and Vietnam, are expected in Moscow on May 9 for the Victory Day celebrations, marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Germany in World War II.
China has also sent a contingent of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to participate in the Victory Day parade in Moscow.
Putin and Xi struck personal friendship since 2013, forging close political and military ties, posing a major challenge to the global dominance of the US and the European Union.
The two leaders have met several times and established close trade ties under which China has emerged as the largest buyer of Russian oil and gas.
China also maintained strategic ambiguity over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and denied allegations that it supplied arms to Moscow.
While Putin was under pressure from Trump to end the Ukraine war, the US President also imposed an unprecedented 145 per cent tariff against Chinese exports, which according to the White House, amounted up to 245 per cent.
China retaliated with 125 per cent against the US exports. Both countries are poised to hold talks to resolve Trump’s reciprocal tariffs.
Chinese security analysts also say Trump’s efforts to forge close ties with Putin were aimed at breaking the close alliance between Russia and China.
“We believe the important common understandings between the two presidents will further deepen political mutual trust between the two countries, add new substance to strategic coordination, promote practical cooperation in various fields, bring more benefits to the two peoples, and contribute more stability and positive energy to the international community,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said.
This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UN, the statement said, noting that China and Russia, as founding members of the UN and permanent members of the UN Security Council, shoulder special and important responsibility in safeguarding the international system with the UN at its core.
“The two countries will further strengthen their close coordination in the UN, SCO, BRICS and other multilateral platforms, rally the Global South, shape global governance in the right direction, unequivocally oppose acts of unilateralism and bullying, and jointly promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalisation,” it said. (PTI)
