Putin, Xi Mark 25 Years of Russia-China Treaty
Russia and China expanded discussions on trade, defense and political coordination during talks marking 25 years of bilateral cooperation.
Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping during bilateral talks in Beijing focused on strategic coordination and economic cooperation. Photo: @sputnik_brasil
May 20, 2026 Hour: 1:30 am
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Leaders discuss strategic coordination, trade and multipolarity during high-level talks in Beijing.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday in Beijing, as both governments moved to deepen political, economic and defense cooperation amid mounting tensions with Western countries.
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The meeting took place at the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square and marked the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation signed by Moscow and Beijing in 2001, a cornerstone agreement that has shaped bilateral relations over the past two decades.
Putin arrived in China accompanied by a large delegation that included five deputy prime ministers, eight ministers, senior officials from Russia’s Central Bank and executives from major state-owned corporations.
Ahead of the meeting, the Russian president said the visit was aimed at “actively developing contacts in politics, economics and defense” between the two countries in order to strengthen what he described as “genuinely strategic cooperation.”
“Russian-Chinese relations have reached an effectively unprecedented level,” Putin said. “I sincerely value President Xi Jinping’s willingness to maintain long-term cooperation with Russia.”
Energy cooperation remained a central issue during the talks. Putin said “the locomotive of economic cooperation is Russian-Chinese interaction in the energy sector,” adding that “amid the crisis in the Middle East, Russia maintains its role as a reliable supplier of resources, and China as a responsible consumer of those resources.”
The Russian president also highlighted the growing use of national currencies in bilateral trade, stating that transactions between the two countries are now conducted “almost entirely” in rubles and yuan instead of the US dollar.
According to Putin, the process has contributed to bilateral trade surpassing 200 billion dollars, a record figure reflecting the expanding economic relationship between Moscow and Beijing.
The summit agenda includes the signing of a joint declaration on strengthening the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation between both countries, alongside another declaration focused on the development of a multipolar world order and new forms of international relations.
Around 40 bilateral agreements are expected to be signed in sectors including industry, trade, transport, construction, innovation, education, cinematography, nuclear energy and cooperation between news agencies. Twenty-one of the agreements are scheduled to be signed in the presence of both leaders.
The 2001 treaty commemorated during the visit laid the foundation for what both governments now describe as a comprehensive strategic partnership. Over the last 25 years, Russia and China have coordinated positions within multilateral forums such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS, advocating principles including non-interference in internal affairs and respect for national sovereignty.
Author: MK
Source: Xinhua / Sputnik / Agencies
