Vladimir Putin meets 'old friend' Xi Jinping in Beijing and secures more than 20 agreements

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing for his 25th visit, meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to sign more than 20 agreements covering trade, technology, film collaboration, sustainable trade, railway construction, and energy cooperation. Xi called the 30-year China-Russia partnership a model for major-country relations, while Putin described ties as ‘unyielding’ and invited Xi to visit Russia in 2027, following his planned September trip to Washington. The meeting contrasted with U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent Beijing visit, which ended without formal deals. Putin used a 3,000-year-old Chinese idiom to underscore the closeness of relations, noting over 40 in-person meetings and 100 video conferences between the two leaders since 2013. Xi warned of ‘unilateral and hegemonic countercurrents,’ indirectly criticizing the U.S., while Putin framed their alliance as a stabilizing force globally. Energy and economic ties dominated the discussions, with Putin bringing executives from Rosneft, Gazprom, and leading Russian banks. China remains Russia’s top trading partner and primary buyer of Russian oil and gas, a critical lifeline amid Western sanctions. The leaders also addressed the Iran-U.S. conflict, with Xi urging a transition from war to peace and negotiations as ‘paramount.’ The visit highlighted Beijing’s balancing act between Moscow and Washington, with state media framing both Trump’s and Putin’s trips as proof of China’s global influence. However, experts note that while Xi and Putin are close allies, China maintains cautious diplomacy with both superpowers.