Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed their close strategic partnership during high-level talks in Beijing on Wednesday.
Commenting on the war, Xi told Putin that an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire was urgently needed, warning that further escalation would be unwise and stressing the importance of continuing diplomatic negotiations.
Putin was welcomed at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People with a ceremonial honour guard and gun salute, as children waved Chinese and Russian flags. In addition to formal meetings, the two leaders were expected to hold private discussions over tea later in the day.
The summit came shortly after US President Donald Trump visited Beijing, drawing global attention to the symbolism and outcomes of the Xi-Putin meeting.
Chinese state media portrayed the back-to-back visits by Trump and Putin as recognition of China’s rising international standing amid an increasingly divided global order.
According to China’s state news agency Xinhua, Xi said Beijing and Moscow should pursue long-term strategic coordination and work together to promote a fairer and more balanced global governance system. He credited the strength of bilateral ties to growing political trust and deeper strategic cooperation.
Putin described Russia-China relations as a stabilising force in global affairs and emphasised that Moscow remained a dependable energy supplier despite instability in the Middle East.
“Even amid difficult external conditions, our economic cooperation continues to show positive momentum,” Putin said, while also inviting Xi to visit Russia next year.
Putin, who has frequently referred to Xi as a “dear friend,” arrived in Beijing as bilateral trade between the two countries showed signs of recovery after last year’s decline. Trade between China and Russia increased 16.1% during the first four months of 2026 compared to the same period a year earlier.
Total trade between the two nations stood at 1.63 trillion yuan ($240 billion) in 2025, down 6.5% from the record level reached in 2024, marking the first annual decline in five years.
The Russian leader acknowledged the need to reverse that slowdown, underscoring China’s importance to Russia’s sanctions-hit economy as the war in Ukraine continues. Putin’s delegation included deputy prime ministers, cabinet ministers, and executives from major state companies and banks.
