Communist Party’s security chief to visit Russia ahead of Putin’s expected China trip as law enforcement ties grow

Chen Wenqing, who oversees police and intelligence, will go to Moscow for international security meeting a month after terror attack rattles Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly plans to visit China next month as the two countries mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations

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Chen Wenqing, formerly state security minister, has served as China’s top security official since the country’s 2022 leadership reshuffle. Source: CCTV

Published: 7:00pm, 19 Apr 2024Updated: 11:45pm, 19 Apr 2024

China’s top security official Chen Wenqing will visit Russia ahead of an anticipated visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to China next month as law enforcement cooperation between Beijing and Moscow continues to grow.

Chen, a member of the Communist Party’s Politburo and secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, has been invited to attend the 12th International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues, the Chinese foreign ministry announced on Friday. He will visit Russia from Sunday to April 28, it said.

His visit will come about a month after 133 people were killed at a concert hall near Moscow in Russia’s worst terrorist attack in recent decades.

Chen was promoted to China’s top security job overseeing police and intelligence during the leadership reshuffle in October 2022. He previously served as state security minister.

In May 2023, Chen spoke at the 11th International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues in Moscow, stressing that China would promote common international security while continuing to protect its own security.

During that visit, he met Russian spy chief Sergey Naryshkin and Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Russia’s Security Council. The two sides agreed to deepen cooperation to safeguard their security interests.

These visits took place under the China-Russia law enforcement and security cooperation mechanism set up in 2014. Bilateral meetings are held annually to discuss issues such as national security and counterterrorism.