Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing for a two-day state visit just days after U.S. President Trump. Putin was visiting China for the 25th time looking to further strengthen the comprehensive partnership between the two countries. His trip was timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, which serves as the foundation of relations between the two countries. Before his arrival, Putin said that the ties between the two countries had reached an “unprecedented level”. “Ties are now at the historical peak of a comprehensive partnership and strategic coordination in a new era and are rightfully considered a model of a new type of relationship between major powers,” Chinese President Xi Jinping added.
During Putin’s state visit, 40 agreements were signed, although half of them were non-binding memoranda of understanding (MOUs). The agreements covered energy, trade, science and technology, and infrastructure. The two sides also signed a sweeping agreement to further boost strategic ties and a joint declaration to push for a multipolar world order. According to Russian media reports, the two leaders agreed on key parameters for the highly anticipated Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline – including its route and construction details – though pricing terms were not disclosed.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said that the two countries were already in the final stages of finalizing the contracts for the project, which has been under negotiation for nearly two decades. After years of deadlock over pricing and routes, the current geopolitical crisis has injected fresh urgency into the Power of Siberia 2 project. The Kremlin is eager to push the project forward, having lost its primary energy market after the European Union slashed Russian gas imports in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. While China is still pursuing its energy diversification policy, it also wishes to reduce reliance on fuel shipments through the volatile Strait of Hormuz. The proposed project could deliver an additional 50 billion cubic meters of gas annually from Russia’s Arctic and Siberian fields to China via Mongolia, a scale comparable to the designed 55 billion cu m annual capacity of the damaged Nord Stream 2 pipeline project to deliver Russian gas to Europe.
“Our country is one of the largest exporters of oil, natural gas, and coal to China. We are, of course, ready to continue to reliably ensure uninterrupted supplies of all these fuels to the rapidly growing Chinese market,” Putin said at the joint press conference. He also highlighted Russia’s thriving cooperation with China in car manufacturing, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, aircraft manufacturing and space exploration. For his part, Xi said China would boost cooperation with Russia in energy, the digital economy, artificial intelligence (AI) and technological innovation. Xi underscored the strategic necessity of China and Russia aligning on the world stage, framing their partnership as a crucial counterweight in global governance. Political trust is the most striking feature of Chinese-Russian relations,” he added.
Russia and China agreed to deepen cooperation in the International Lunar Research Station and satellite navigation, and to ensure the compatibility of Russia’s Glonass and China’s BeiDou navigation systems. They also agreed to push for home currency settlement and ensure the security of energy infrastructure. In a lengthy joint statement, the two agreed to cooperate on everything from law enforcement and combating money laundering, to preserving the World War II legacy to mineral extraction, shipbuilding, cross-border infrastructure and protecting Amur tigers. The two leaders also unveiled the start of the China-Russia Year of Education.
Putin’s visit contrasted with that of Trump, which culminated in symbolic gestures due to the absence of any concrete agreements.
This overview is based on reports in the China Daily and South China Morning Post.
