Russian President Vladimir Putin has wrapped up a two‑day state visit to Beijing that both sides cast as a reaffirmation of their “comprehensive strategic partnership,” with a heavy emphasis on energy and trade.

Putin arrived in the Chinese capital on Tuesday night on his 25th visit to the Chinese capital and was met at the airport by Foreign Minister Wang Yi before a formal military welcome ceremony on Wednesday at the Great Hall of the People. 

The trip came less than a week after US President Donald Trump concluded his own summit with Xi Jinping, a sequencing that Chinese media highlighted as evidence of Beijing’s growing role as a diplomatic hub.

After talks on Wednesday, Xi and Putin issued a lengthy joint statement – reported to run to 47 pages – pledging to further deepen strategic coordination and positioning China‑Russia ties as a stabilising force in an increasingly turbulent world. 

On the economic front, the two sides inked more than 20 agreements on energy, transport, and international cooperation.

[See more: Xi-Trump summit seals tactical trade truce, but no big reset]  

At a press conference following his talks with Xi, Putin praised the growing trade conducted in rubles and yuan as a strategic response to external pressure – likely a reference to Washington’s weaponisation of the global financial system.

“The coordinated steps taken by Russia and China to shift settlements between them, between our countries as a whole, to national currencies have been of great significance. As a result, virtually all Russian-Chinese export-import operations are being carried out in rubles and yuan,” he said.

The Russian leader also praised the bilateral visa-free regime as a boon to tourism and cultural exchange. “In 2025, more than two million Russians arrived in the People’s Republic of China. Over one million Chinese citizens visited Russia,” he told the press conference.

In a commentary, the People’s Daily said China-Russia relations were “at their best period in history” and added that Beijing and Moscow remain firmly committed to safeguarding the international system with the UN at its core.

The two countries are “a key force in opposing hegemony, advancing multipolarity and stabilising the international situation,” the commentary said.