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Russian President Vladimir Putin praised his close relationship with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and said their countries are partners in trade and international affairs as they opened bilateral talks on Wednesday during his visit to Beijing.
Xi welcomed Putin in a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People a few days after meeting US President Donald Trump. The rapid succession of visits by Trump and Putin highlighted Beijing’s growing role as a world power, experts say.
Putin greeted Xi warmly as they met for bilateral talks at the Great Hall of the People.
“My dear friend,” Putin said. “We are very happy to see you. We are always in touch, personally and with our help in the government.”
Xi also emphasized “political trust and strategic cooperation” between the countries, according to Chinese state media. The two leaders have been close friends in the past, with Xi at one point describing Putin as his “best and closest friend.”
High agenda for purchasing power
Xi and Putin were willing to focus on energy and security and their relationship as a whole. The two sides agreed to extend the friendship treaty first signed in 2001, Chinese state media reported.
China became Russia’s top trading partner after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Beijing has said it is neutral in the conflict while maintaining trade ties with the Kremlin despite economic and financial sanctions by the US and Europe.
China is a leading customer of Russian oil and gas, and Moscow expects the Iran war to increase demand.
In his meeting with Xi, Putin emphasized their countries’ economic ties.
“What promotes economic cooperation is cooperation between Russia and China in the energy sector,” Putin said. “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.”
Xi stressed the need for a “complete end to conflicts” in the Middle East, according to Chinese state media.
“A quick end to the conflict will help reduce disruptions to the stability of energy supplies, the smooth operation of industries and supply chains, and international trade,” Xi said.
Russian oil exports to China are increasing
A Russian presidential aide said earlier that Russian oil exports to China increased by 35 percent in the first quarter of 2026 and that Russia is one of the largest natural gas exporters to China.
Putin also emphasized the cooperation of China and Russia in foreign policy as “one of the important factors of stability at the international level.”
“In the current tense situation in the world, our close cooperation is very important,” he said.
US President Donald Trump praised trade progress with China as he praised President Xi Jinping, who spoke bluntly in a veiled warning that mishandling the Taiwan issue could put China-US relations back in jeopardy.
In February 2022, a few weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine, China and Russia announced “borderless” relations during Putin’s visit to Beijing.
Beijing says it is neutral in the conflict, although it actually supports Moscow with frequent visits to the country, increased trade and joint military exercises. China has also ignored Western demands to stop supplying high-tech equipment to Russian arms factories.
Photography tour
The two leaders are scheduled to sign cooperation agreements during Putin’s two-day visit.
But regardless of the specific agreements, the main purpose of the visit is to reaffirm the countries’ relations and project Beijing’s image as an influential superpower, experts say.
“The optics are important,” said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London.
“The message is that China maintains friendship and strategic relations with any power it likes, and the USA is one of them.”
Putin and Xi both need to use their close relationship to project their images at home, said Willy Lam, China director at the Jamestown Foundation.
Putin “needs to tell his people and the world that Russia has the support of China in terms of buying oil and gas and other tangible and intangible financial support,” Lam said.
Meanwhile, for Xi, having Trump and Putin visit in such succession is a great source of prestige for the country’s top Communist leadership.
Putin noted earlier this month that Moscow and Beijing had reached “a very big step in our cooperation in the field of oil and gas.”
“Actually, all the important things have been agreed upon,” he said. “If we manage to finalize these details and bring them to a conclusion in this visit, I will be very happy.”
Putin also praised their bilateral relations as an important, balancing force in international relations.
“Cooperation between countries like China and Russia undoubtedly contributes to deterrence and stability,” he said.
