On the afternoon of May 16, 2024, Putin (front left) attended a concert in Beijing commemorating the 75th anniversary of China-Russia (Soviet) diplomatic relations. His gaze was unfocused on the performance, appearing deep in thought. Putin&9;s body also leaned slightly away from Xi Jinping (front right, second from the right).
[People News] Saint Petersburg, located in northwestern Russia and bordering the Gulf of Finland, was established by Peter the Great. It serves as a directly governed city of Russia and is a significant port and military base in the Baltic Sea region. On October 21, the 31st regular meeting of the Chinese and Russian prime ministers took place here, co-hosted by Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
On the same day, Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for the Russian president, announced that President Putin would 'meet' Li Qiang in Saint Petersburg. However, when Li Qiang visits Moscow on November 18, 2025, Peskov indicated that Putin would 'receive' Li Qiang, and the two leaders would engage in in-depth discussions.
According to reports from the Russian news agency, during his meeting with Li Qiang, Putin remarked that Russian-Chinese relations are progressing smoothly and flourishing. He requested that Li Qiang convey his 'best wishes' to his 'friend' Xi Jinping. Putin also noted that he has met with Xi Jinping three times this year, stating, 'As per our previous agreements, we will have the opportunity to meet again during the APEC summit in Shenzhen this November.'
Interestingly, the Russian news agency's report on Li Qiang included only a single sentence, stating that he 'conveyed the best wishes of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Putin.'
In contrast, the Chinese state media outlet Xinhua published a report titled 'Li Qiang Meets Russian President Putin' that exceeded six hundred words. In addition to relaying Xi's greetings and best wishes to Putin, Li Qiang refrained from mentioning Xi's name again, as he had done last year, instead referring to 'the leaders of the two countries.'
In discussing China-Russia relations and cooperation, the statements included phrases like 'China is willing to enhance communication and coordination with Russia on major issues, closely collaborate on multilateral platforms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS, unite more forces from the Global South, defend common interests, and uphold fairness and justice.' These points have typically been articulated by Xi Jinping. However, during Li Qiang's meeting with Putin in November 2025, such expressions were notably absent.
Furthermore, state media reported that 'Putin asked Li Qiang to convey his sincere greetings to President Xi Jinping and expressed hopes for the successful convening of the 20th Central Committee's Fifth Plenary Session of the Communist Party of China.' It highlighted that Putin and Xi have met several times this year and reiterated that 'China has always been, is now, and will continue to be Russia's closest and most reliable partner,' along with the strengthening of bilateral cooperation. However, it failed to mention Putin referring to Xi as a 'friend' and the statement about their upcoming meeting in November. Isn't that intriguing?
Additionally, one of the most significant points to consider is why Putin, as the president of a nation, would travel from Moscow to St. Petersburg to meet with Chinese Premier Li Qiang? The direct distance between Moscow and St. Petersburg is approximately 633 to 641 kilometres, while the driving distance is around 703 to 708 kilometres. If Putin were to fly, it would take about an hour and a half.
In 2024, Putin met with Li Qiang in Beijing and Moscow on two occasions, and they met again in Moscow in 2025. According to diplomatic norms, Li Qiang, being of a lower rank, should have travelled to Moscow to meet with Putin. Even if time constraints were an issue, the meeting could have been cancelled. For example, Russian media reports in Chinese last year referred to Putin's meeting as jiejian, which conveys a tone of superiority. Additionally, when Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin met with Xi Jinping, it took place in Beijing, even though the 2025 Sino-Russian Prime Ministers' meeting is scheduled for Hangzhou. However, it is noteworthy that this time, Putin made a special trip to meet with Li Qiang, and Russian reports referred to it as huijian.
This situation raises several questions: Why did Putin choose to meet with Li Qiang? Why did the Chinese Communist Party's official media not report on Putin's two statements? Why did the Russian news agency provide only a brief mention of Li Qiang?
The author speculates that, based on announcements from the Chinese Communist Party, Putin is likely aware of significant changes about to occur within the Party's upper ranks, including Li Qiang's potential elevation. This could explain why Putin opted to meet with Li Qiang and why he refrained from making the same statement as last year, which expressed 'confidence that China will achieve its development goals under the strong leadership of President Xi Jinping.'
Moreover, the absence of Putin referring to Xi as a 'friend' and the mention of another meeting in November by the Chinese Communist Party's official media may also be connected to the personnel changes anticipated at the upcoming Fifth Plenary Session.
The report from the Russian News Agency regarding Li Qiang is succinct, featuring only a single sentence that emphasises Putin's greetings to his friend Xi. It summarises the results of their meeting with the statement 'Sino-Russian relations are developing smoothly and vigorously.' This brevity may stem from Putin's lingering affection for his old relationship with Xi, coupled with a hint of dissatisfaction at having to lower his status.
Putin's decision to meet with Li Qiang is yet another odd occurrence in a series of unusual events within the Chinese Communist Party, all of which suggest an impending shift in the upper ranks of power.
(First published by People News) △
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