Beijing – Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin praised the progress of strategic relations between their countries on Wednesday. This came during an official summit held in the Chinese capital, Beijing. The summit addressed political, economic, and energy cooperation, alongside several international issues.
Xi welcomed the Russian president at the Great Hall of the People with official ceremonies. These included reviewing the guard of honor and firing a salute. Children waved Chinese and Russian flags before the start of official talks.
The Chinese president confirmed that relations between Beijing and Moscow reached an advanced level. He attributed this to deepening mutual political trust and strategic cooperation. He stressed the need to focus on a long-term strategy. He also called for promoting a fairer and more rational global governance system.
For his part, Putin described the Russian-Chinese partnership as an example to follow in modern international relations. He emphasized that cooperation between the two countries contributes to global stability. He also stressed that Russia will remain a reliable energy supplier despite ongoing unrest in the Middle East. Furthermore, he invited Xi to visit Russia next year.
The two sides discussed the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline project. Moscow seeks to advance negotiations for this project. However, disputes regarding gas pricing still persist. The Russian company Gazprom previously announced an agreement to move forward with the project. In contrast, China has not issued clear public positions on the matter.
The summit comes at a time when Chinese-Russian relations are strengthening. This bond has grown since Western sanctions were imposed on Moscow due to the war in Ukraine. China has become a major economic partner for Russia, especially in trade and energy.
The visit is also expected to witness the signing of dozens of agreements. Additionally, the two leaders plan to issue a joint statement on strengthening their strategic partnership.