Putin-Xi Summit Signals Mutual Dependence Amid US Pressure While Discord Remains: Analysts

Russian President Vladimir Putin walks at Beijing Capital Airport as he departs Beijing on May 20, 2026, after a two-day visit. Alexander Kazakov/Pool/AFP via Getty ImagesRussian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on May 19 for a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping only days after U.S. President Donald Trump’s departure, and left the next day without signing an intended major natural gas deal with China.According to analysts who spoke with The Epoch Times, Putin’s visit signals that Moscow and Beijing each have their own objectives and continue to use each other under U.S. pressure while harboring mutual distrust and discord.