Xi hosts Putin in Beijing, signaling tighter China-Russia ties

Xi Jinping rolled out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin in Beijing, but the summit’s biggest message was not ceremony. The visit showed how far China and Russia have deepened ties, and how carefully Beijing is still managing the relationship to avoid paying a bigger price with the West.

Putin’s May 19-20 state visit came less than a week after Donald Trump’s trip to Beijing, turning Xi’s calendar into a striking diplomatic contrast. Chinese officials framed the visit as Putin’s 25th trip to China and tied it to the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation, as well as the start of the China-Russia Year of Education. Xi and Putin said their relationship had entered a “new stage” marked by greater achievements and faster development.

The optics were elaborate. The two leaders held talks, chatted over tea, visited a photo exhibition and witnessed the signing of a broad package of cooperation documents. Their state banquet featured Peking duck, Jinhua ham, Chinese opera and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, underscoring the effort to present the relationship as both political and cultural. Xi also used language widely read as a swipe at Washington, warning against unilateral and hegemonic behavior.

Beneath the pageantry, the summit produced more than 40 cooperation agreements spanning trade, technology, media, education, energy and nuclear security. That is a meaningful sign of institutionalized coordination between the two powers. Xi and Putin also agreed to extend their friendship treaty, reinforcing a relationship that both governments now describe as strategic and long term.

But the meeting also exposed the limits of the partnership. The most politically sensitive issue, the long-discussed Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, did not get a breakthrough. Pricing, financing terms and delivery timelines remained unresolved, leaving Moscow without the energy deal it wanted as it seeks to redirect gas exports away from Europe after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Lyle Morris of the Asia Society Policy Institute called that failure a “huge setback” and said Beijing was “playing hardball” because Russia has less leverage than before.

The economic imbalance was visible in other ways too. A Russian presidential aide said Russian oil exports to China rose 35% in the first quarter of 2026, a reminder that Moscow is increasingly dependent on Beijing as its ties to Europe have collapsed. Xi’s reception signaled support for Russia, but the terms of the visit showed China still intends to set the limits.