Story perspectives

China Pays $367 B for Russian Fuel, Putin Visits Beijing

5/19/2026

Left

China Buys Russian

China has bought over $367 billion of Russian fossil fuels since the Ukraine invasion, becoming Russia’s largest energy customer.
Russian President Vladimir Putin began a two-day state visit to China on 19 May 2026, meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
The Power of Siberia 2 pipeline could add 50 bn cubic metres of gas to China.
A deputy warned the war’s economic strain could force a swift end, highlighting domestic pressure.

Right

Putin Meets Xi

Xi and Putin have met about 50 times since 2012, more than any world leader has met the Chinese president.
The two-day visit began on 19 May 2026 when Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in China, meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
In 2022 leaders announced a ‘no-limits’ friendship, after which China sent dual-use exports to Russia.
Beijing’s support, alongside Iran, North Korea and Belarus, has sustained Russia’s war for four years.

Blindspot

Left coverage gave more weight to the $367 billion of Russian fossil fuels purchased by China and the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, details not mentioned in the Right summary.
Left coverage highlighted domestic economic strain on Moscow as a potential driver for ending the war, an angle absent from the Right summary.

History

Historical Context

EU sanctions after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea forced Moscow to seek new partners, and China rose to fill the gap, accounting for 40 % of Russian imports in 2022 and expanding bilateral trade to $240 billion in 2023. This shift laid the groundwork for deeper energy cooperation between Russia and China in the years that followed.

1 of 4

China Buys Russian

China has bought over $367 billion of Russian fossil fuels since the Ukraine invasion, becoming Russia’s largest energy customer.
Russian President Vladimir Putin began a two-day state visit to China on 19 May 2026, meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
The Power of Siberia 2 pipeline could add 50 bn cubic metres of gas to China.
A deputy warned the war’s economic strain could force a swift end, highlighting domestic pressure.

1 / 4