Former CIA officer claims Putin’s China visit has strategic purpose

A former US intelligence officer has claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to China is aimed at informing Beijing about Russia’s next major strategic plans.

Ray McGovern, a former senior CIA officer, said in an interview that the visit is not just a routine diplomatic meeting. According to him, its main purpose is to brief Chinese President Xi Jinping about Russia’s upcoming military and strategic decisions.

He compared the visit to Putin’s trip to China in 2022, which took place just weeks before Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine. McGovern suggested that a similar level of strategic communication may be happening again.

Speaking to interviewer Rick Sanchez, McGovern said that historically, Putin has often coordinated closely with China on key national security and strategic matters.

He also noted that China has generally supported Russia’s security concerns and has backed Moscow’s position in international forums.

The former CIA official further said that after the current visit, both countries are expected to issue an important joint statement, which would show strong alignment between Moscow and Beijing.

He added that this contrasts with recent US-China interactions, including former President Donald Trump’s visit to China, during which no joint statement was issued.