Xi, Putin Hold Beijing Summit, Eyeing 40 Deals as Strategic Coordination Deepens
Updated
Updated · South China Morning Post · May 20
Xi, Putin Hold Beijing Summit, Eyeing 40 Deals as Strategic Coordination Deepens
11 articles · Updated · South China Morning Post · May 20
Beijing talks between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin centered on tightening strategic coordination, with the Kremlin saying about 40 agreements were expected during the visit.
Energy cooperation was a key theme, with both sides stressing Russia as a reliable supplier to China while also discussing economic ties, the Middle East conflict and the war in Ukraine.
The summit comes days after Donald Trump’s China visit and amid rising pressure from Washington, a backdrop that has pushed Beijing and Moscow to present their relationship as being at an all-time high.
This year marks 30 years of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership and 25 years since the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was founded, making the meeting a signal of how the two powers may align in wider global tensions.
Is the 'no-limits' partnership a genuine alliance or China's strategic hedge against a dependent Russia?
As China and Russia build a new world order, what happens to the US dollar's global power?
With their vision for a new global order, why does their military hardware keep failing in battle?
2026 Putin-Xi Summit: 21 Major Deals Cement Russia-China Economic and Geopolitical Ties
Overview
President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing on May 19-20, 2026, at the invitation of the Chinese leader, marking a significant deepening of the Russia-China partnership. The visit was strategically timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of their Treaty on Good-Neighbourliness, highlighting the long-term nature of their relationship. Over the years, their geopolitical and economic ties have steadily developed and strengthened, especially since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia aims to further build on this partnership, while China uses its engagement with Russia to reinforce its message of consistent diplomacy on the global stage.