Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin meet in Beijing, criticize US missile defense plans days after Trump's China visit

May 20, 2026

Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on May 20, 2026, for a 24-hour state visit marking Putin's 25th trip to China and the 25th anniversary of their 2001 friendship treaty. The leaders signed approximately 20 agreements extending visa-free travel until 2027 and deepening AI cooperation, while jointly condemning US President Donald Trump's Golden Dome missile defense system as a threat to strategic stability. The summit came days after Trump's own landmark visit to Beijing and amid significant developments including a major Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow with over 500 drones and Russia's first net territorial loss since August 2024. Xi and Putin also criticized US-Israeli military strikes against Iran and the assassination of Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling for a multipolar world order and enhanced strategic coordination against what they termed unilateral hegemonic currents.

Xi-Putin Beijing summit

▪Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin agreed to extend visa-free travel for each other's citizens until the end of 2027.
▪Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin have met more than 40 times.
▪China and Russia signed some 20 agreements during Putin's May 2026 visit to Beijing.
▪Chinese leader Xi Jinping hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on May 20, 2026.
▪Vladimir Putin's May 2026 visit to China was his 25th official visit to China during his quarter-century as Russia's leader.
▪Xi Jinping hosted President Donald Trump for a landmark US-China summit days before hosting Vladimir Putin in May 2026.
▪Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin pledged deeper cooperation on artificial intelligence during the May 2026 Beijing summit.
▪President Donald Trump received a red-carpet welcome during his visit to Beijing in May 2026.
▪Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin signed a joint statement during Putin's May 2026 Beijing visit.
▪Vladimir Putin's state visit to Beijing lasted roughly 24 hours.

Golden Dome missile defense criticism

▪Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin denounced Trump's plan to build a multibillion-dollar Golden Dome missile defense system in a joint statement.
▪Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin stated that the US Golden Dome project poses a clear threat to strategic stability.

US-Israeli Iran war response

▪Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin stated in a joint statement that US-Israeli strikes against Iran undermined stability in the Middle East.

China-Russia strategic partnership deepening

▪The 2001 China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation resolved long-standing border frictions and ushered in a new period of cooperation.
▪Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin opposed external forces interfering in the internal affairs of Latin American and Caribbean countries under any pretext.
▪Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin expressed support for the status of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace.
▪China and Russia are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their 2001 Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation.
▪Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin's joint statement reiterated their close ties and a desire for a multipolar world.

Putin weakened by Ukraine losses

▪Days before Vladimir Putin's May 2026 arrival in Beijing, Ukraine launched what Russian media said was the largest attack on Moscow in more than a year, targeting the capital with more than 500 drones.
▪Russia suffered what analysts say was the first net loss of territory since August 2024 in the month before Putin's May 2026 Beijing visit.