China

Putin and Xi emphasize unity - Over 20 agreements sealed

Russian President Vladimir Putin (l) and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands before their meeting in the Great Hall of the People. Photo: Sergei Bobylev/Pool Sputnik Kremlin/AP/dpa - ATTENTION: For editorial use only and only with full attribution of the above credit

Keystone

The presidents of Russia and China have emphasized their good relationship at a meeting in Beijing.

Keystone-SDA

02.09.2025, 09:33

According to the official news agency Xinhua, China's head of state and party leader Xi Jinping said that relations had survived the test of international change and could still be expanded. The two sides signed more than 20 cooperation agreements, including in the fields of energy, aviation, artificial intelligence and agriculture. According to the Kremlin, Putin said that Russian-Chinese relations were at an "unprecedentedly high level".

It remained unclear what Xi and Putin had to say about the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. According to information from Beijing, the two discussed "regional issues of common interest".

Putin at parade with Kim

Putin and Xi also emphasized that they had come to each other's military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Like North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Putin will attend China's military parade in Beijing on Wednesday.

China is considered Russia's most important backer in the Ukraine war because Beijing has not condemned Moscow's actions to date and has supported Russian demands in its own proposals for a solution to the conflict. Western countries also accuse China of supplying Russia with goods that can also be used for military purposes, thereby supporting the Russian arms industry.

China and Russia for a new world order

On Monday, Xi and Putin spoke out in favour of a new world order at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The Russia-friendly SCO is seen as a counterweight to Western alliances. Putin had declared that the Eurocentric and Euro-Atlantic model had outlived its usefulness.