Goodbye Trump, hello Putin: China welcomes Russian leader facing pressure at home

ChinaGoodbye Trump, hello Putin: China welcomes Russian leader facing pressure at homeIf last week’s state visit was about managing ties between the superpowers, welcoming the Russian leader Tuesday is about reassuring a long-standing partner who calls Xi Jinping a “dear friend.”Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleReflecting on high stakes week in Beijing01:39Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 19, 2026, 7:44 AM EDTBy Mithil AggarwalHONG KONG — Days after hosting President Donald Trump, Chinese leader Xi Jinping is welcoming another big guest, with Russian President Vladimir Putin arriving Tuesday as Beijing seeks to project itself as a stabilizing force on the world stage.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.If Trump’s state visit last week was about managing ties between the superpowers, Putin’s is about reassuring a long-standing partner whose leader calls Xi a “dear friend.”For Putin — whose two-day visit this week is his 25th to China as president — it is crucial to reaffirm ties with China amid an intractable war with Ukraine he seems increasingly unable to win, which is helping fuel rare signs of public dissatisfaction.Russia-China relations have reached a “truly unprecedented level,” Putin said Tuesday in what Chinese state media said was his first-ever video address before a foreign trip.“We will continue to work hand in hand and spare no effort to deepen the Russia–China partnership and good-neighborly friendship,” he said.Putin last visited China in September 2025 to watch a military parade honoring the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and hold talks with Xi.Alexander Kazakov / Kremlin Pool via APPresidential aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters Monday that Putin’s visit was unrelated to Trump’s and that it had been arranged in February. But Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said last week that it would be a “good chance to exchange...