President of Russia Vladimir Putin: President Xi Jinping, dear friend. Ladies and gentlemen.
As always, our talks with President of the People’s Republic of China took place in a warm, friendly and constructive
atmosphere. It was a substantive and productive discussion.
Mr Xi Jinping’s current visit is timed to coincide with the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great
Patriotic War. Tomorrow, we and many other foreign leaders will take part in the anniversary events and attend the Victory Parade.
The soldiers and officers of the People’s
Liberation Army of China will march shoulder to shoulder with the military units
from Russia and other states in a ceremonial procession on Red Square.
The President of China and I have also agreed
that we will meet in Beijing in September to celebrate another anniversary, 80
years since the end of World War II, and to pay tribute to the Soviet and Chinese troops who fought together against the Japanese militarism.
Overcoming the unprecedented hardship and horrors of war, our nations conducted the ultimate heroic feat to restore peace
but also, as is well known, suffered the greatest losses. Today, Russia and China stand together in their consistent efforts to preserve the historical
truth about the Great Victory as the common value for humankind, and jointly
prevent attempts to falsify history and rehabilitate Nazism and militarism.
Our shared heroic past and combat brotherhood
form a solid foundation for the development and strengthening of Russia-China
relations. These relations have reached the highest level in history, being
self-sufficient and independent from internal political factors or momentary
global agendas.
The comprehensive partnership and strategic
cooperation between Russia and China are built on the unshakable principles of equality, mutual support and assistance, as well as the unbreakable friendship
between the two states and two nations.
I want to emphasise that Mr Xi Jinping and I personally control all aspects of Russia-China partnership and do all we can to expand the cooperation on bilateral issues and the international agenda alike.
During today’s talks, we
discussed politics and security cooperation, economic ties, as well as cultural and humanitarian exchanges in detail.
As you have just seen, following the talks, we have signed an impressive
package of documents. The Joint Statement Mr Xi Jinping and I have signed sets ambitious goals, in particular, ensuring significant
progress in Russian-Chinese trade and investment by 2030, expanding and improving the structure of economic ties by increasing the share of high-tech
products, developing innovative e-commerce,
mutual supply of essential materials, mineral
resources, and agricultural products.
China is Russia’s leading trade partner. In 2024, our trade set a new
record, reaching $245 billion. Russia is also one of China’s leading trade partners.
Investment cooperation is developing actively: about 90
top priority Russian-Chinese projects worth about $200 billion are being
implemented or in development, covering such
areas as industrial production, transport, logistics, agriculture, and mining.
The intergovernmental agreement on promotion and mutual
protection of investment signed today will undoubtedly contribute to the continuous growth of mutual investment.
The timely and well-coordinated measures taken by both
Russia and China to conduct bilateral payments in national currencies also contribute significantly
to the deepening of our commercial ties. As a result, nearly all Russian-Chinese trade
transactions are now carried out in rubles and yuan. In effect, a stable and resilient mutual trade system has been established —
one that is reliably shielded from the influence of third countries and adverse
fluctuations in global markets.
The Power of Siberia gas pipeline has now reached its full design
capacity, with 31 billion cubic metres of natural gas delivered to our Chinese
partners. Gazprom consistently meets the requests of its Chinese counterparts,
regularly supplying volumes beyond those stipulated in the contractual obligations.
The launch of the Far Eastern Gas Pipeline scheduled
for 2027 will increase Russian gas exports by another 10 billion cubic metres.
The volume of LNG
that Russia supplies to China is also increasing, and cooperation in peaceful nuclear energy is developing successfully. Rosatom is
building Russian-designed power units at the Tianwan NPP and the Xudapu NPP.
Their commissioning will make a significant contribution to the energy supply
of the Chinese economy, helping supply Chinese enterprises and households with
inexpensive and clean energy, thus improving
the environmental situation in large Chinese cities.
In late March, the Nika accelerator complex, built with the active
assistance from our Chinese partners, was
launched in the city of Dubna, Moscow Region. This collider allows for unique
physics experiments that help study the nature
and properties of elementary particles.
When discussing current issues of industrial cooperation, special
emphasis was put on creating additional
value chains and introducing advanced technologies and innovations.
Large Chinese car producers, manufacturers of industrial equipment,
microelectronics, and household appliances are expanding their presence in the Russian market; large-scale joint projects are being implemented in non-ferrous
metallurgy, chemical and cellulose industries, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals,
space development, and many other knowledge-intensive
areas.
Russia and China prioritise the development of international transport corridors
spanning the entire Eurasian continent. Our country is actively upgrading key
railway routes — the Trans-Siberian and the Baikal-Amur mainlines — along with the supporting infrastructure.
Significant progress has been made in the development and commercial
operation of the Northern Sea Route. As a result, passenger and freight flows
between Russia and China continue to grow steadily, with increased throughput
at border crossings, several of which now operate 24 hours. New logistics hubs
are being established, too.
I would also like to highlight that 2024–2025 have been declared the Cross-Years of Russian and Chinese Culture. To date, around 150 events, including theatre tours, museum
exhibitions, and film festivals, have taken place in 30 Russian and 50 Chinese
cities. Last winter, Moscow marked the Lunar New Year on a grand scale, an occasion in which hundreds of thousands of Muscovites took part. I am certain
that many people in Moscow are now recalling
those festive moments with fondness. We have many New Year celebrations: the calendar New Year, the Old-style New Year, and now we are delighted to celebrate the Lunar New Year as well.
The steady growth of mutual tourism is further supported by the visa-free
regime for organised tour groups. In 2024, 1.6 million Russian citizens visited
the People’s Republic of China, while approximately 1.2 million Chinese
nationals travelled to the Russian Federation.
There are 21,000 Russian students in China, and 51,000 Chinese students
in our country. More than 160 bilateral educational programmes for undergraduate and postgraduate students are available in Russian
and Chinese. There are 27 joint education institutions, including the flagship
Joint Russian-Chinese University created by Lomonosov Moscow State University
jointly with the Beijing Institute of Technology. There are 12 inter-university
associations that unite about 600 education institutions in the two countries.
Today, the President of China proposed an initiative to hold bilateral years of education. We support this timely and useful idea.
Chinese athletes successfully participated in the BRICS Games and the Games of the Future,
held in Russia in 2024. In turn, the Russian national
team won many awards at the Greater Altai Games organised in China last
January.
When
addressing crucial international and regional issues, we reaffirmed that Russia
and China maintain identical or highly aligned positions. The two countries pursue
independent foreign policies and are
interested in creating a more just and democratic multipolar world order.
As you know, the United Nations marks the 80th
anniversary this year. Russia and China both believe that the UN and its Security Council ought to continue
playing the central role in global affairs,
while all the issues and problems on the global and regional agendas must be
addressed in compliance with the UN Charter and international law, with
due account for the interests of all international
community members with respect for the cultural and civilisational diversity.
Our countries are actively cooperating within BRICS and the Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation, where China is now presiding. Russia supports the priorities of China’s SCO
chairmanship, and we are happy to be taking part in the SCO summit in Tianjin this September.
Of course, we will continue to coordinate our positions in other multilateral formats, such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
forum, the G20, the World Trade Organisation, the International Monetary
Fund, and the World Bank. We will persist with our efforts to align the integration processes within the EAEU and China’s Belt and Road Initiative with the prospect of forming a greater Eurasian partnership.
In conclusion, I would like to sincerely thank President Xi Jinping and our Chinese colleagues for their productive joint work. I am confident that the current visit and talks will further strengthen Russian-Chinese friendship and contribute to the well-being and prosperity of our states and nations.
Thank you.
President of China Xi Jinping (retranslated): President Putin, ministers,
journalists, good afternoon.
I am delighted to visit Moscow once again during this festive season full of emotions and the joys of Victory. I want to thank President Putin for inviting me, and thank our Russian friends for their warm welcome.
Mr President and I have just had substantive and fruitful friendly
talks, reaching an entire range of new important agreements.
We have signed the Joint Statement of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China on Deepening the Comprehensive Partnership and Strategic Cooperation in the New Era to Commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Soviet Union’s Victory in the Great Patriotic War and the People of China’s
Victory over Japanese Aggression, and the Establishment of the United Nations.
An impressive package of documents was signed and exchanged in our presence,
which, I believe will further enhance our bilateral relations.
Russia is the country I have visited most frequently as the President of China: this is my 11th visit. Tomorrow, I will have the honour of taking part in the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet
Union’s Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The last time I attended such festivities
was exactly a decade ago.
The past ten years have brought not only profound transformations on the international landscape, but also remarkable milestones and breakthroughs in the development of China–Russia relations. We have witnessed a steady
strengthening of our political mutual trust and a dynamic expansion of multifaceted cooperation that continues to reach new heights.
In the face of global, monumental and historic changes, I am firmly
convinced of the importance of staying true to the course of the development of our bilateral relations and of human society at large. We must uphold our sense
of responsibility, deepen comprehensive cooperation, and contribute ever more
to the progress and prosperity of our nations, while defending international justice
and equality. It is essential that we remain trusting
friends, bound by time-tested friendship and mutual respect.
Eighty years ago, in the face of ferocious militarism and Nazism, the armies and peoples of China and Russia fought side by side, selflessly and with
great courage. Together, they wrote a glorious chapter in human history — a legacy of heroism that will never fade. The deep bond between our peoples was
forged in the fire of war and sealed in blood, laying a firm foundation for the ever-rising trajectory of our bilateral ties.
I am confident that we must continue strengthening our political trust
and enhance our strategic coordination. China-Russia relations will only grow
more mature and resilient. It is vital that we remain reliable partners,
committed to mutual benefit and shared prosperity.
The mutually beneficial China-Russia
cooperation has gone along a very difficult path, from massive reciprocal flows
of highly sought-after cargo during the challenging years of World War II to regularly renewed records of mutual trade, like a high-speed train steadily
climbing the peaks. In this context, it is essential to continue to deepen
multifaceted practical cooperation and strengthen the material basis for comprehensive interaction to benefit our countries’ peoples and foster global development.
It is imperative that we remain the defenders
of a world order in the spirit of equality and justice. China and Russia, as the main theatres of war in World War II, made a decisive contribution to the victory over Nazism, and thus laid the cornerstone of the post-war world order.
As a positively stabilising and proactive
factor of the international community, China and Russia should stand
unwaveringly side by side, resolutely uphold the UN-centred system of international relations and the world order based on international law and continuously promote equitable and orderly multilateralism around the world. It
is vital to remain the engines of global governance in the spirit of mutual
support.
All the nations of the world have an equal
right to determine the future of our planet and to share the achievements of global progress. China and Russia, as great world powers and emerging markets,
have a noble mission to ensure global development in a more equitable and rational vein.
It is crucial to boost our interaction within
multilateral organisations, including the UN, the SCO and BRICS, to uphold
genuine multilateralism, to ensure that global governance is moving in the right direction, and to promote universally accessible and inclusive economic
globalisation.
As a Chinese wisdom goes, the path to the most
ambitious goal lies through the most formidable hardships. Despite the turbulent international situation, China and Russia will remain committed to the spirit of eternal neighbourliness, comprehensive strategic interaction and mutually beneficial cooperation, will withstand any weather and overcome any
obstacles hand in hand, work unceasingly to comprehensively advance bilateral
relations deep and wide, enhance their strength, bring more stability to global
peace and security, and provide powerful incentives and boosts to global
development and prosperity.
Thank you for your attention.