Crossing views: Putin and Xi discuss the situation around Ukraine
Russia and China's ties are self-sufficient and not subject to the global conjuncture. Vladimir Putin said this during video talks with Xi Jinping on January 21. President of China said that the country was preparing to bring relations with Russia "to a new height" in 2025. In the private part of the conversation, the heads of state thoroughly discussed international issues, in particular, the situation in Ukraine, the Kremlin said. In his conversation with Xi, Putin reiterated Moscow's readiness to dialog on this topic with the new administration of the U.S. president. Experts argue that after Donald Trump's inauguration, the predictability of world politics began to decline sharply, which may well strengthen relations between Moscow and Beijing.
China intends to take relations with Russia "to a new height"
Around noon on January 21, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping held talks via videoconference. This is their first contact in 2025. The conversation lasted more than an hour and a half, but the open part of the talks took less than 10 minutes. They centered on the current state of bilateral relations between the states and the prospects for their development. Xi Jinping was the first to take the floor at the talks, calling his Russian counterpart his dear friend, and Vladimir Putin expressed the same attitude to the Chinese President in his speech.
In 2024, Putin and Xi met three times: in May - in Beijing, in July - at the SCO summit in Astana and in October - at the BRICS meeting in Kazan.
- We are building our ties on the basis of friendship, mutual trust and support, equality and mutual benefit. These ties are self-sufficient, independent of domestic political factors and the current global situation. Their comprehensive strengthening is fully in line with the task of comprehensive development of Russia and China and the improvement of the well-being of the peoples of both countries," Vladimir Putin said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping via videoconference
According to him, Russia and China today have common views on how to build a dialog between major powers. In 2024, Moscow and Beijing solemnly celebrated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, as well as reached a number of important agreements on the results of face-to-face meetings, Xi Jinping said. In 2025, the Chinese authorities are ready to bring relations with Russia "to a new height," said the head of China.
- Sino-Russian relations, the core of which is eternal good-neighborliness and friendship, comprehensive strategic cooperation, mutually beneficial cooperation and win-win, are gaining new vitality," Xi emphasized.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping meeting in Moscow. March 21, 2023
By the way, Russia is expecting Xi Jinping's visit in 2025, as Russian Ambassador to China Igor Morgulov said earlier. Last time the Chinese leader came to Moscow in 2023. The conversation between the heads of state took place on the eve of the Chinese New Year, which in Russian cities, as a sign of friendship between the peoples, have also begun to celebrate with greater fanfare, decorating squares and holding themed events. The Spring Festival, also known as Chunjie, or the traditional Chinese New Year according to the lunar calendar, falls on January 29 this year. Vladimir Putin wished peace and prosperity to the people of China and, as they say in China, "good luck in ten thousand deeds" to its leader.
Russia and China are ready to build relations with the United States
In the closed-door part of the talks, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping discussed the Ukrainian crisis, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said. China is one of the most active mediators in the search for ways to resolve the conflict. Earlier, the People's Republic of China published its vision of a peace plan consisting of 12 points. Among them - respect for the sovereignty of all countries, compliance with international law and the UN Charter, as well as the resumption of peace talks as "the only viable solution" to the conflict.
- Naturally, the situation around Ukraine and the relations of our two countries with the United States were discussed, taking into account the Trump administration coming to power in Washington. Both sides noted their readiness to build relations with the United States on a mutually beneficial, mutually respectful basis, if the Trump team really shows a counter interest in this," the Russian presidential aide added.
However, experts say that after Donald Trump's inauguration, the predictability of world politics began to decline sharply. Now, against the background of the U.S. president spouting new ideas and revising the decisions of his predecessors, China will remain an example of foreign policy stability, reliability and predictability, said Alexander Lomanov, deputy director of IMEMO RAS.
- Trump, as a skillful businessman, as a strong negotiator, is not exerting much pressure so far. He clearly wants to try to talk to both sides and see if he can get something favorable for America without resorting to threats of forceful blackmail or new sanctions. Nevertheless, the trust between Moscow and Beijing is many times greater than the trust between Moscow and Washington and between Beijing and Washington. Therefore, Moscow and Beijing have much more opportunities in terms of mutual trust and the ability to negotiate with each other to form a common position on complex problems," he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump signs documents in the Oval Office of the White House
Against this background, Russia and China will begin to coordinate key issues of bilateral cooperation and the global agenda even more closely, said Ekaterina Zaklyazminskaya, a leading researcher at the Center for World Politics and Strategic Analysis of IKSA RAS. "Trump's arrival will 'shake up' all countries. The energetic start of the 47th president's second term with the signing of a colossal number of documents on the first day is only the beginning of the Trump 2.0 administration," the expert believes.
The choice of the date for communication between the two leaders, as assured in the Kremlin, is not related to the event that took place over the ocean. There, by the way, Xi Jinping was personally invited there, but instead of the Chinese leader, the ceremony was attended by Vice President of China Han Zheng. At the same time, just a couple of days before his inauguration - on January 17 - Donald Trump had, in his words, a "very productive" telephone conversation with Xi Jinping. The two sides discussed trade and the situation with TikTok, among other things. He also made it clear that he intends to visit China at the beginning of the new presidential term. The media, citing sources, reported that the head of the White House would like to make this visit in the first 100 days in office. Xi also informed Putin in general terms about the content of this conversation, the Kremlin said.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet during the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan. June 29, 2019.
- It was also noted from our side that we are ready and open to dialog with the new US administration on the Ukrainian conflict. If appropriate signals come from Washington, we will pick them up and will be ready to hold appropriate talks and appropriate contacts," Yuriy Ushakov promised.
He once again recalled Vladimir Putin's statement made the day before: the outcome of potential negotiations should be "not some brief truce, a respite, but a long-term peace based on respect for our objective interests". However, despite media reports about Trump's intention to organize a phone conversation with Putin, no concrete proposals in this regard have been received from Washington so far, Yuri Ushakov said on January 21.
Xi invited Putin to Beijing
In the closed part, the heads of state thoroughly discussed a whole series of other international issues. They touched in detail on the work of the SCO in the context of China's presidency in 2025, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, developments in Syria, the conflict in the Middle East in general in the context of the agreement reached between Israel and Hamas, as well as the situation in the Asia-Pacific region. Yury Ushakov noted separately that Russia's unwavering support for the one-China principle was reaffirmed on the Taiwan issue.
Today, the joint work of Moscow and Beijing in foreign policy plays an important stabilizing role in world affairs: the countries coordinate their steps at the UN, the SCO, the G20 and APEC, the Russian President said.
- We jointly advocate for building a fairer multipolar world order, work to ensure indivisible security in the Eurasian space and in the world as a whole," Putin said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a concert marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and China and the opening of the Russian-Chinese Cultural Years in Beijing. May 16, 2024
The President of the People's Republic of China emphasized: Beijing and Moscow will defend the international system of relations, the fundamental role in which belongs to the UN. He is convinced that co-operation among States in multilateral formats contributes to reforming and improving the system of global governance.
- Together with our Russian colleagues, in this context, we will support a centered international system, uphold the victory in World War II won with the blood and lives of millions of people, and protect the rights of China and Russia as founding members of the United Nations and permanent members of the Security Council," Xi Jinping added.
The memory of the victory in World War II is sacred for the peoples of Russia and China, who fought a bloody struggle against the aggressors and defeated the enemy at the cost of incalculable sacrifices, Vladimir Putin said. Moscow will host many ceremonial events in the year of the Great Victory anniversary, the main one being a parade on Red Square on May 9, where Xi Jinping has also been invited.
T-34-85 tank at the military parade on Red Square in honor of the 79th anniversary of Victory in World War II. May 9, 2024
- The ideology of fascism, Nazism and militarism must not be allowed to raise its head again. It is important to cherish and defend the historical truth together with our other like-minded people," the Russian president said.
Vladimir Putin, in turn, was called by the Chinese leader to Beijing, where the end of World War II will be commemorated on September 3.
How trade turnover between Russia and China is growing
The leaders paid considerable attention to the issues of trade and economic cooperation. Both Putin and Xi are satisfied with the steady dynamics of development in the face of unprecedented Western sanctions. Especially in trade, financial, energy, industrial, transportation, investment spheres, as well as in new areas of cooperation - AI, quantum physics, innovative materials, said Yuri Ushakov.
This is demonstrated by the figures. The growth of trade turnover between Russia and China for 11 months of 2024 amounted to more than 7% - it reached over $220 billion, and according to Chinese statistics - almost $245 billion for the year, said the President of the Russian Federation. Moreover, as the Kremlin specified, more than 95% of settlements between the countries are made in national currencies. Xi Jinping also confirmed a steady upward trend in trade turnover with Russia.
- Bilateral practical cooperation is steadily expanding, and a steady upward trend in mutual trade remains. And the eastern route of the China-Russia gas pipeline has reached full capacity ahead of schedule," the Chinese President added.
China is considered to be the largest consumer of Russian energy resources, Moscow holds the first place in oil exports, Vladimir Putin noted. In addition, Russia has taken the first place in natural gas supplies to China.
Russia and China's counter tourist flows are growing, as well as sports and educational exchanges, Vladimir Putin concluded.
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