Putin-Xi meeting in Beijing: Pledge to build ‘multipolar world’, 40 documents signed

❐ International Desk

---

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a joint declaration in the Chinese capital Beijing on Wednesday, pledging to establish a ‘multipolar world’ and a ‘new type of international relations’.

A total of about 40 bilateral documents were signed at the summit, held at the Great Hall of the People — including government, departmental, and corporate agreements.

Xi Jinping said this was the 25th edition of Putin’s visit to China, which in itself is proof of the depth of the relationship between the two countries. He described Russian-Chinese relations as the “best example” of mutual trust between two major powers.

At the same time, he warned against unilateral hegemony, saying that this trend is trying to restore the ‘law of the jungle’ in international relations.

Xi pledged that as the two permanent members of the UN Security Council, Russia and China will stand firmly in upholding the authority of the UN and against unilateralism.

Putin said that in 2025, trade between the two countries was about $240 billion.

Notably, almost the entire share of bilateral imports and exports is now being conducted in rubles and yuan, largely freeing transactions between the two countries from the influence of the dollar-based global trading system.

Xi also positively assessed this progress, saying that bilateral trade increased by about 20 percent between January and April of this year.

On energy cooperation, Putin said Russia is committed to ensuring continued reliable supplies to China as one of the largest suppliers of oil, liquefied natural gas and coal. Rosatom’s nuclear power plant construction project is also moving forward.

Russian-designed units at the Tianwan and Sudapu nuclear power plants are set to come online soon, playing a key role in meeting China’s electricity needs.

In addition, a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the renewable energy sector and mutual recognition of Russian and Chinese environmental certificates was also signed during this visit.

But all eyes were on the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline deal. This proposed project, which would transport 50 billion cubic meters of gas annually from the Yamal Peninsula to northern China through Mongolia, has yet to set a specific deadline.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the main conditions and route had been agreed, with some minor issues remaining to be finalized.

New aspects of cooperation between the two countries have also been revealed in the transport and infrastructure sectors.

Putin said that the Trans-Siberian and Baikal-Amur railways are being modernized and the possibilities of commercial transportation via the North Pole to the Arctic are also being expanded.

There has also been significant progress in the humanitarian and cultural fields. After Xi Jinping proposed the introduction of visa-free travel between Russia and China during his visit to Beijing last year, more than two million Russian citizens have visited China in 2025, and more than one million Chinese citizens have visited Russia. During this visit, the two leaders jointly inaugurated the “Russia-China Education Year”.

The two leaders renewed the agreement on the 25th anniversary of the Russia-China Treaty of Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation, signed in 2001.

A joint statement was also signed, pledging to further strengthen the strategic partnership established in 1996. The two countries also confirmed their continued close coordination in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS, and G-20 forums.

Moscow-Beijing relations have grown increasingly close under Western diplomatic pressure since the start of the Ukraine campaign in 2022. In the Middle East, Xi Jinping said that further conflict there was irrational, and he described a comprehensive ceasefire as the most urgent step at the moment.

Discouraging comparisons with Trump’s recent visit to Beijing, Peskov said the two visits should be evaluated not by outward appearances, but by their content.