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Putin lands in China for high-stakes talks with Xi Jinping

Published 19 May 2026 · world

Just a week after hosting US President Donald Trump, Chinese leader Xi Jinping is hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin. With the war in Ukraine ongoing

Just a week after hosting US President Donald Trump, Chinese leader Xi Jinping is hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin. With the war in Ukraine ongoing, China has become a crucial economic and diplomatic partner for Moscow. And for Beijing, keeping Russia close adds strategic weight in a rapidly shifting world, even as it works to steady relations with Washington. For more insights, DW News speaks with correspondents Rik Glauert and Juri Rescheto, as well as analyst Liana Fix.

00:00 Putin lands in China for high-stakes talks with Xi Jinping 00:41 DW's Rik Glauert from Taipei and Juri Rescheto from Riga on how Xi Jinping is positioning China as global power center in a new multipolar world order 02:00 Bejing as Russia's economic lifeline amid western isolation 03:13 China–Russia deals: Gas pipelines & military ties 04:31 Russian media framing & hidden tensions over gas pricing 05:26 Taiwan Watches China–Russia alliance closely 06:36 Doubts over China's "neutrality" in Ukraine war 07:46 Expert Liana Fix on China–Russia relations: An unlimited friendship of equals?

09:01 Putin's visit reinforces a shared stance against the US, NATO, and western influence 10:08 Shared ideology & geopolitics 12:42 China's role in the Ukraine war 14:03 Beijing benefitting from a weakened West and a dependent Russia 15:24 China's

"responsible power” narrative challenged 16:59 China and Russia benefit as US attention shifts toward Middle East conflicts. For more news go to Follow DW on social media ► ►TikTok ► ► Für Videos in deutscher Sprache besuchen Sie Subscribe

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