Xi and Putin hail deepening ties at talks amid global unrest

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin praised the strength of their relationship during talks in Beijing as both countries seek to reinforce bilateral ties in the shadow of wars in Ukraine and Iran.

The two leaders signed a pact on deepening strategic cooperation on Wednesday before looking on as officials from both nations inked a series of other documents on topics ranging from trade and technology to railway construction. Putin said approximately 40 agreements had been reached during the visit, even as they didn’t mention a key gas pipeline project.

“We have built a stable system of mutual trade that is protected from external influence and negative trends in global markets,” Putin said sitting next to Xi after talks between the two sides.

The Chinese president said earlier that both nations are working on deepening political trust and strategic coordination.

Discussions between the two leaders at the Great Hall of the People included the Middle East, state news agency Xinhua reported, with Xi adding urgency to his earlier calls for a ceasefire in a conflict that started with the U.S.-Israeli bombing of Iran and then spread across the region. Hours earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump — who held a summit with Xi in Beijing last week — threatened to resume strikes on Iran in the coming days as part of the push for a deal to end the war.

“A comprehensive ceasefire is imperative,” Xi said in Beijing. “Restarting war is even more unacceptable, and adhering to negotiations is particularly important.”

Putin and Xi, who share a common desire for a multipolar world order to challenge U.S. global dominance, attended a banquet in the Russian leader’s honor before continuing their talks together over tea.

The planned discussion over tea “is one of the most important events of the visit,” Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin foreign policy aide, told reporters on Monday. “We, like our Chinese friends, are interested in this tea meeting lasting as long as possible.”

That conversation is set to touch on Iran, Ukraine, relations with the U.S. and cooperation in international organizations, Ushakov told the Vesti news outlet on Wednesday.

The leaders of Russia and China — two of Tehran’s biggest backers — are meeting after Trump said he’d held off on a new bombardment of Iran planned for Tuesday at the request of Persian Gulf allies.

The comments are increasingly raising the prospect of a return to active hostilities with Iran, which has so far refused to bow to Trump’s demands to relinquish the remaining elements of its nuclear program after weeks of strikes that began in late February.

Xi welcomed Putin on Tiananmen Square at the start of their summit, giving him the same treatment received days earlier by Trump. A 21-gun salute rang out as a military band played their national anthems, while dozens of children holding Russian and Chinese flags greeted them and shouted, “Welcome, welcome.”

Putin told Xi that Russia-China relations are at an unprecedented level and a model of partnership. The visit was formally timed to mark the 25th anniversary of a friendship and cooperation treaty between Russia and China.

Calling Xi a “dear friend,” Putin said Russia remains a reliable supplier of energy to China. “In the current tense situation on the international stage, our close cooperation is especially needed,” he said.

“China and Russia should focus on long-term strategies and promote the development and revitalization of their respective countries,” said Xi, according to China Central Television. He added that their nations should also “build a more just and reasonable global governance system” in the face of “rampant unilateral hegemony,” the state broadcaster reported, making what appeared to be a veiled swipe at the U.S.

China’s Foreign Ministry said it was Putin’s 25th visit to the country.

Topics on the agenda at the talks between Russia and China included the planned Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, the Kremlin said earlier, though neither leader mentioned the project in remarks while signing agreements.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that the main parameters for the pipeline project had been agreed upon, but some details still needed to be finalized, though he didn’t elaborate.

Besides his discussions with Xi, Putin also held separate talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

Russia hopes the turmoil in energy markets from the Middle East conflict and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz will make China more flexible in negotiations on a contract for gas prices for the project.

Chinese state media highlighted potential areas for cooperation from energy, agriculture, science and tech to space and artificial intelligence. Top Russian government officials and heads of major companies from Gazprom PJSC to Rosatom and Roscosmos are part of the visiting delegation.

With its economy under growing strain, Russia is heavily reliant on trade with China to weaken the impact of Western sanctions over the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that’s in its fifth year. Russia is importing more than 90% of its sanctioned technology through China, Bloomberg News reported earlier.

China has denied that it’s provided weapons to any parties in the war in Ukraine, saying it strictly controls exports of dual-use articles.

While Beijing sees Moscow as a useful partner in weakening U.S. dominance and advancing the so-called multipolar world order, China appears determined not to become too closely identified with the risks of Putin’s war in Ukraine — particularly as it tries to present itself globally as a force for stability.

That balancing act helps explain apparent contradictions in China’s position. Beijing has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion, though Chinese officials continue to invoke sovereignty, territorial integrity and the authority of the United Nations — language that sits uneasily beside Moscow’s territorial demands in Ukraine.

“Putin could not continue to fight the war in Ukraine without the systematic support China is providing to the Russian war machine,” said Henrietta Levin, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “In Beijing, we should expect Putin to seek greater material support for the Russian military and more assistance from Chinese financial institutions in evading U.S. and European sanctions.”

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—With assistance from Qianwei Zhang, Elaine To and Josh Xiao.