Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have praised their growing strategic partnership and expanding energy cooperation during talks in Beijing, days after US President Donald Trump visited China.
The two leaders oversaw the signing of more than 40 agreements covering trade, technology and media cooperation, while reaffirming alignment on major international issues and deepening economic ties centred on oil and natural gas.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, Xi said relations between Beijing and Moscow had reached “the highest level in history”. The two countries also agreed to extend a friendship treaty first signed in 2001.
Putin described energy cooperation as the backbone of bilateral relations.
“Amid the crisis in the Middle East, Russia continues to maintain its role as a reliable supplier of resources, while China remains a responsible consumer of these resources,” he said, in an apparent reference to the US conflict involving Iran.
Xi called for a “complete cessation of hostilities” in the Middle East, warning that continued conflict could disrupt global energy supplies, industrial chains and international trade.
Trade and energy ties deepen
China has remained Russia’s largest trading partner since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Although Beijing insists it is neutral in the conflict, it has continued extensive trade with Russia despite Western sanctions.
China is currently the biggest buyer of Russian oil and gas, with Moscow expecting further growth in demand amid tensions linked to Iran. However, the meeting produced no visible breakthrough on the proposed Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline project.
According to a Russian presidential aide, Russian oil exports to China rose by 35 per cent in the first quarter of 2026. China’s state-run Xinhua news agency said bilateral trade reached around $228 billion in 2025.
Xi described energy cooperation as a “stabilising pillar” of relations and pledged to expand collaboration in artificial intelligence, the digital economy and technological innovation.
United front against ‘hegemonism’
The summit came shortly after Trump’s Beijing visit, in what analysts say reflects China’s effort to present itself as a global power capable of balancing ties with rival nations.
Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London, said the message from Beijing was that China “maintains friendship and strategic partnership with whichever power it likes, and the USA is just one of them”.
Putin described Sino-Russian foreign policy coordination as “one of the key stabilising factors on the international stage”, particularly during the current period of global tensions.
Xi repeated criticism of “unilateralism and hegemonism”, widely interpreted as a veiled attack on the United States, and warned the world risked returning to “the law of the jungle”.
Shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Beijing and Moscow declared a “no limits” partnership. Since then, China has maintained high-level exchanges with Russia, expanded trade, held joint military drills and supplied dual-use technology.
Putin also invited Xi to visit Russia in 2027 and confirmed he would attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in southern China later this year.
Leaders stress personal rapport
The two leaders again highlighted their close personal relationship during the meeting.
“My dear friend… We are truly delighted to see you,” Putin told Xi. “We keep in constant touch, both personally and through our aides in the government.”
Xi referred to Putin as “my longtime friend” and stressed the importance of strengthening ties based on “mutual trust”.
Analysts say the partnership also serves domestic political interests for both leaders.
Willy Lam, a senior China fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, said Putin benefits from showcasing China’s support through energy purchases and economic cooperation, while Xi gains politically by hosting both Trump and Putin within days of each other.
