Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in China this week with a delegation packed with some of Russia’s most influential business and state finance figures, according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
Putin is scheduled to visit China on May 19-20 at the invitation of Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
According to Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti, the delegation will include Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin, Gazprom chief Alexei Miller, oligarch Oleg Deripaska, Novatek co-owner Gennady Timchenko, and Leonid Mikhelson, chairman of Russia’s largest independent gas producer.
Also expected to join the delegation are Central Bank governor Elvira Nabiullina, Sberbank CEO German Gref, VTB chief Andrei Kostin, Roscosmos head Dmitry Bakanov, and VEB chairman Igor Shuvalov.
Energy and economic cooperation expected on agenda
Reuters reported that the Kremlin has “serious expectations” for the trip and described Russia’s relationship with China as a “particularly privileged and strategic partnership.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said economic issues would feature prominently in the talks.
“All issues that are on the economic agenda of our bilateral relations will naturally be addressed,” Peskov said when asked about the proposed Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline project.
The pipeline could eventually transport an additional 50 billion cubic meters of Russian gas annually to China through Mongolia.
China avoids mentioning Ukraine directly
China’s Foreign Ministry said Xi and Putin would discuss bilateral relations, economic cooperation, and international and regional issues of “common interest.”
According to Chinese state outlet Global Times, the upcoming visit will mark Putin’s 25th trip to China.
However, Beijing did not explicitly mention Ukraine as part of the agenda.
The visit comes less than a week after US President Donald Trump traveled to Beijing for talks with Xi.
Trump later confirmed he discussed Ukraine with the Chinese leader during the summit.
“We discussed – well, it’s one that we’d like to see settled,” Trump said after the meeting.
The Kremlin announced Putin’s visit shortly after Trump departed China without any apparent breakthrough on Ukraine or Iran.