Putin heads to Beijing days after Trump in test of China's balancing act

Key points

• TOPSHOT - Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shows the way to Russian President Vladimir Putin after the photo session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 at the Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Centre in Tianjin on September 1, 2025. Suo Takekuma | Afp | Getty Images Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to arrive in Beijing on Tuesday for a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, visiting an ally that barely had time to clear the ceremonial trappings it laid out for U.S.
• President Donald Trump just days earlier.
• The summit, scheduled for May 19-20, marks the second time the Chinese and Russian leaders have met in the past year, as Beijing seeks to manage ties with Washington and Moscow while positioning itself as a pivotal power in global diplomacy.
• Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 left Moscow effectively isolated and heavily reliant on Beijing for trade under...