During a meeting in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin committed to extending the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation. This agreement aims to bolster political trust, strategic coordination, and practical collaboration between the two nations amid an unpredictable global landscape. Their discussions culminated in the signing of a joint statement to enhance their comprehensive strategic partnership and resulted in 20 cooperation agreements covering various sectors such as economy, trade, education, and technology.
Xi highlighted the longstanding relationship between China and Russia, noting that this year marks three decades since the establishment of their strategic partnership and 25 years since the treaty’s initial signing. Over the years, the treaty’s principles of non-alliance, non-confrontation, and not targeting third parties have been upheld, fostering a relationship based on equality, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation. The two leaders underscored the importance of their nations’ roles as permanent members of the UN Security Council, emphasizing the need to uphold international law, fairness, and justice.
The discussions also touched on global governance and challenges such as unilateralism and hegemonism. Xi and Putin expressed their opposition to attempts at reviving fascism and militarism, advocating for a more equitable global governance system. Their partnership aims to address pressing global and regional issues through cooperation within frameworks like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS. The leaders also discussed major international and regional matters, including the Middle East’s critical situation.
Economic ties between China and Russia have been robust, with bilateral trade exceeding $200 billion for three consecutive years. The first four months of 2026 saw a nearly 20 percent increase in trade, according to customs data. Both leaders expressed the intention to align China’s 15th Five-Year Plan with Russia’s development strategy through 2030 to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation. A focus was also placed on fostering people-to-people bonds through exchanges in education, culture, and other sectors, aiming to cement public support for their bilateral relationship.
In a gesture of goodwill, China announced the extension of its visa-free policy for Russia until the end of 2027, with Russia reciprocating for Chinese citizens. This extension is part of broader efforts to deepen bilateral ties and collaboration across various fields. The meeting concluded with Xi hosting a welcoming banquet for Putin, underscoring the importance of their continued partnership and mutual support on global matters.