Beijing, January 21, 2025
Chinese readout
On the afternoon of January 21, President Xi Jinping had a virtual meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
The two presidents exchanged New Year greetings. President Xi expressed his pleasure in having a virtual meeting with President Putin just a few days before the Chinese Spring Festival, and shared his hope for a flourishing China-Russia relationship in the year ahead. President Putin responded by expressing his pleasure to talk to President Xi via video link at the beginning of the New Year. He wished President Xi and the Chinese people a happy Spring Festival and all the best.
President Xi recalled the three meetings he had with President Putin in 2024 and the many important common understandings they reached. In 2024, the two countries celebrated the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. The bilateral relationship, centering on the spirit of lasting good-neighborliness and friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination, and mutually beneficial cooperation, demonstrated renewed vitality. The China-Russia Years of Culture had many highlights. Practical cooperation made steady progress. Two-way trade maintained growth momentum. Close coordination in such multilateral fora as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS provided more positive energy to the reform and development of the global governance system.
President Xi stressed his readiness to work with President Putin and guide China-Russia relations to a new height in 2025, to respond to external uncertainties with the stability and resilience of China-Russia ties, to boost the development and prosperity of both countries, and to uphold international fairness and justice. He underscored the need for the two countries to deepen strategic coordination, firmly support each other, and defend their legitimate interests. He also noted the need to cement and expand bilateral relations with a view to deepening practical cooperation. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union’s Great Patriotic War and the World Anti-Fascist War. It also marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations. China and Russia should take the opportunities presented by the anniversaries to jointly safeguard the U.N.-centered international system and the fruits of victory in World War II, and to call on all countries to observe the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, uphold universally recognized basic norms of international relations, and follow true multilateralism. As the rotating president of the SCO, China will work with Russia and other member states to take the organization to a new stage featuring higher-quality development and greater responsibility and contribution. China and Russia should also work together to advance greater BRICS cooperation and write a new chapter of the Global South pursuing strength through unity.
President Putin noted that Russia and China always trust each other, support each other, and treat each other as equals, and that the bilateral cooperation, which serves the interests of both peoples, has remained impervious to shifts in the international landscape. It is good to see that bilateral trade and energy cooperation keeps sound momentum, mutual visits by tourists are on the rise, and the two sides have close communication and collaboration in multilateral arena. Russia firmly supports the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and firmly opposes “Taiwan independence” in any form. Eighty years ago, Russia and China fought against aggressors at the cost of blood and life, thus safeguarding national sovereignty and dignity. This year, the two countries should jointly celebrate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and defend the outcomes of World War II. Russia will work with China to strengthen cooperation in multilateral affairs and play a positive role for world peace and development.
The two presidents also had an in-depth exchange of views on international and regional issues of mutual interest, and agreed to maintain strategic communication in 2025.
Wang Yi attended the meeting.
Source – Foreign Ministry of China
Russian readout: Talks with President of China Xi Jinping
Moscow, 21 January 2025
Vladimir Putin held talks, via videoconference, with President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping.
Beginning of talks with President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping
President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping
(retranslated):
President Putin, my dear friend,
I am very happy to see you in the online format ahead of the Chinese New Year.
On New Year’s Eve, it is an opportune moment to review results and to chart plans for the future. In 2024, you and I met three times – in Beijing, Astana and Kazan – and we reached a number of important agreements.
We marked the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Russia in an impressive setting. Chinese-Russian relations, based on eternal neighbourliness and friendship, comprehensive strategic collaboration, mutually beneficial cooperation and mutual benefits, are acquiring new vitality.
The Year of Chinese and Russian Culture has been marked by some memorable moments. Bilateral practical cooperation is developing steadily, mutual trade is expanding confidently, and the eastern route of the China-Russia gas pipeline began operating at maximum capacity earlier than planned.
Our countries are collaborating actively within the framework of the UN, the SCO, BRICS and other international platforms. This provides additional positive energy for overhauling and streamlining the system of global governance.
This year, we are celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Chinese nation’s Victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Invaders, the Soviet Union’s Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the 80th anniversary of the UN.
In this context, Russia and China will support the UN-centric international system, defend the Victory in World War II, which was secured by the blood and lives of millions, and uphold the rights of China and Russia as founding members of the UN and permanent members of the UN Security Council.
This year, I am ready, together with you, to elevate Chinese-Russian relations to a new level, to counter external uncertainties by preserving stability and resilience of Chinese-Russian relations, for the development and prosperity of both countries and for justice and equality in the world.
Thank you.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin:
President Xi Jinping, my dear friend,
I am sincerely pleased to greet you and to have the opportunity to speak with you at the beginning of the year, continuing our good tradition of reviewing the work done over the past period and outlining new plans for the development of the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation between Russia and China.
I agree with you that cooperation between Moscow and Beijing is based on common national interests in many spheres and shared views on what relations between major powers should be like. We are developing our ties on the basis of friendship, mutual trust and support, equality and mutual benefit. These ties are self-sufficient, as they do not depend on any domestic political factors or the current global situation. Their all-round strengthening fully meets the goals of the comprehensive development of Russia and China and the improvement of our peoples’ well-being.
I believe that the past year was very good for us. We widely celebrated the 75th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. During my visit to China in May last year, we jointly launched a large-scale project – the cross-years of Russian and Chinese culture. We held useful talks on the sidelines of the SCO Summit held in Astana in July, as you have pointed out just now. Of course, I was happy to meet with you in Kazan last October. I would like to take this opportunity to once again thank you for supporting Russia’s BRICS Chairmanship.
We coordinate our actions across various multilateral institutions, including the United Nations and its Security Council, the SCO, the G20 and APEC. We stand united in advocating for a more just multipolar world order and work to ensure indivisible security both in the Eurasian space and globally. It can be said confidently that our foreign policy ties and Russia and China’s joint efforts objectively play a major stabilising role in international affairs.
By the end of the year, despite the negative external influence, we were able to achieve strong new performance indicators in trade. Although we have only drawn the balance for the first 11 months as of yet, our trade showed a growth of over seven percent, reaching over $220 billion.
According to the Chinese data, the total figure for the year was nearly $245 billion. China remains our primary trade partner, while Russia confidently ranks fifth among China’s trading partners.
China is the largest consumer of Russian energy resources. We hold the first place in terms of oil exports to the country. Five years ago, we launched the Power of Siberia gas pipeline together, and today, Russia has become the leading supplier of natural gas to China. In December 2024, we signed a roadmap for a comprehensive programme of cooperation on fast neutron reactors and closing the nuclear fuel cycle, which is the nuclear power technology of the future.
Successful joint projects are being implemented in industry, transport, agriculture and other sectors. Holding Made in Russia fairs in various Chinese provinces has proven to be an effective practice.
Our humanitarian ties are expanding. Over 130 events have been held in both countries so far under the Cross Culture Years project, and this only includes the Russian events programme. Tourist flows are growing in both directions, and sports and educational exchanges are on the rise.
Mr President, this year we are preparing to solemnly celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. Its memory is sacred for both our nations, which fought deadly battles against the aggressors and defeated the enemy at the cost of numerous lives. The ideology of fascism, Nazism and militarism must not be allowed to rear its head again. It is important to cherish and defend the historical truth together with other nations that are guided by the same belief.
My dear friend, I would like to personally wish you and the friendly Chinese people a happy New Year 2025 and a joyous Spring Festival. Allow me to wish you good health and, as they say in China, good luck in “ten thousand matters,” and peace and prosperity to your people.
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