Vladimir Putin likely to host China's Xi Jinping in Russia for a state visit next spring

Russia's President Vladimir Putin will reportedly be hosting China's President Xi Jinping for a state visit in Moscow. The state visit might occur sometime next spring, as per a report from Newsweek. Russia's top diplomat to China divulged information to Russia's press. 

The trip will occur after Xi Jinping becomes China's president for a 3rd term, which will occur during Chinese parliament's annual gathering known as "two sessions", which is slated for March. Some people mistakenly thought that the 20th Chinese Communist Party Congress is the event in which Xi became China's president for a 3rd term. China's Communist Party Congress is an event in which the leader of the party is chosen i.e. the general secretary, not the nation's president. 

Change in dynamics of Russia-China relationship 

According to reports by Russia's news agency RIA Novosti, Moscow's top diplomat to China, Igor Morgulov said that, "In order of priority next year, a state visit to Russia by the president of the [People's Republic of China] should be organized, which will most likely take place, one can assume, after the Chinese parliamentary session traditionally held in early spring." Under Vladimir Putin, Russia has become more dependent on China and is increasingly seen as China's junior partner. During the days of the Soviet Union, China was USSR's junior partner, but now the situation has flipped, due to China's growing power. 

The underlying basis of the Russia-China relationship is not just convergence of interests but a historical animosity towards the US, which goes back to the days of Communist revolution in Russia. However, even during the period when Russia and China were both communists, the relationship was not always hunky dory. The relationship suffered a significant blow during the Khruschev-Mao split. After Stalin's death, Mao believed he was the preeminent leader amongst all the leaders in the communist world. However, Kruschev considered himself the preeminent leader of the communist world as he was the leader of the Soviet Union. Mao and other Chinese communists considered this deeply disrespectful, which eventually led to the Sino-Soviet split. After the Russia-Ukraine war, China has become Russia's most important trade partner, which means Moscow now depends on China more than it used to.