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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will cap their upcoming Beijing summit with an informal tea talk, according to Kremlin Foreign Policy Aide Yury Ushakov. Speaking at a press briefing on May 18, Ushakov detailed a program that includes sensitive bilateral negotiations, the adoption of a declaration on a multipolar world, and the signing of dozens of documents.
The visit, which begins on May 19 and concludes on May 20, will feature a formal welcome ceremony, expanded talks with representatives from both governments, and a private session over tea, Ushakov said. The informal meeting, limited to four officials from each side, is intended to allow the two leaders to discuss essential international issues "confidentially, behind closed doors, in a friendly and sincere manner," as reported by TASS.
Coverage Comparison
All reporting on the visit comes from TASS, the Russian state news agency, which cited Ushakov's briefings. The agency's dispatches uniformly present the upcoming summit as a demonstration of Russia-China cooperation, with an emphasis on mutual interests and strategic partnership. None of the available reports suggest any disagreement between Moscow and Beijing or include independent analysis. The coverage frames the meeting primarily from the Kremlin's perspective, highlighting themes of trust, friendship, and shared international visions.
Key Claims
According to Ushakov, as relayed by TASS, Putin and Xi will discuss "the most sensitive aspects of bilateral relations" during their main negotiations, which will include a one-on-one meeting followed by expanded talks with a large delegation. The Russian side will include five deputy prime ministers, eight ministers, presidential administration representatives, and business leaders, making the delegation "quite representative."
The Kremlin aide also stated that the two leaders will adopt a "Joint Declaration on the Emergence of a Multipolar World and a New Type of International Relations" and sign a 47-page joint statement on "further strengthening the comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction," as well as deepening good-neighborliness, friendship, and cooperation. Around 40 documents are expected to be signed during the visit, covering areas including hydrocarbon supplies and trade.
Ushakov emphasized the economic scope of the relationship, noting that bilateral trade turnover reached almost $240 billion last year. He credited the growing use of national currencies with protecting Moscow-Beijing trade from external influence. He also reported that Russian oil supplies to China have increased by a third since the beginning of the year, and that more than two million Russians visited China and one million Chinese visited Russia under the current visa-free regime.
Perspectives
The Kremlin's view, as articulated by Ushakov, positions the meeting as a natural extension of a "strategic partnership" that he called "exemplary" for neighboring countries. He dismissed any connection between Putin's visit and the recent trip to China by U.S. President Donald Trump, saying the date was agreed in February and that Trump's earlier travel was unconnected to the Russian program.
All reports attribute these statements solely to the Kremlin aide, and no independent verification of the claims or additional perspectives from Chinese officials or other sources have yet appeared in the reviewed coverage. The planned tea talk, which Ushakov described as a long-standing tradition of informal dialogue, underscores the personal rapport that the Kremlin seeks to project.
As the visit approaches, the reported agenda reflects a broad effort to display unity on international norms—particularly the concept of a "multipolar world"—while also managing practical ties in energy, trade, and people-to-people exchanges. The full implications of the declaration and the signed documents will only become clear after the leaders meet, but the Kremlin's public framing points to a continued deepening of the Russia-China alignment.