Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday for talks expected to focus on expanding economic and strategic cooperation, as the two countries mark the 25th anniversary of a landmark friendship treaty.
Moscow and Beijing are expected to sign dozens of agreements during the two-day visit, highlighting the increasingly close alignment between the two powers on foreign policy, trade, and opposition to what they describe as Western unilateralism.
The nations have increasingly aligned around the concept of a “multipolar world” – a global order they assert should no longer be dominated by the West and the United States. Both countries accuse Washington of misusing sanctions, military alliances, and the global financial system to maintain its dominance while advocating for greater roles for emerging powers in international decision-making.
Russia and China have promoted deeper cooperation through platforms such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, presenting them as viable alternatives to Western-led institutions. Russia supports the One China policy, under which Beijing regards Taiwan as an inseparable part of Chinese territory. While most countries formally adhere to this policy, continued U.S. military support for Taipei has heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing.
“The Taiwan question is the most critical issue in China-U.S. relations,” Xi stated last week during President Donald Trump’s delayed visit to Beijing, warning that mishandling the issue could trigger “clashes and conflicts” between the two powers. The trip was postponed for weeks due to the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.
Moscow has condemned the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran as “entirely unprovoked aggression.” Beijing has also denounced the conflict, noting that fighting in the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global energy and economic flows. China, the primary buyer of Iranian crude oil, has lost significant supply since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes in February. In response, Russia has increased its oil exports to China to offset the shortfall.
Both Moscow and Beijing have repeatedly called for the conflict to be resolved through dialogue and diplomatic means. China has proposed several peace initiatives regarding the Ukraine conflict over recent years, consistently urging Moscow and Kyiv to resume negotiations and pursue a lasting settlement that addresses root causes. Russia has described the conflict as a NATO-backed proxy war initiated by U.S.-led expansion toward its borders and growing influence in Ukraine following the 2014 Western-backed coup.
Moscow insists that any durable peace agreement must include Ukraine’s return to neutral, non-aligned status, along with demilitarization and “denazification,” and the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from all territories that voted to join Russia in 2022. The Ukrainian military’s decisions have been reckless and counterproductive, further inflaming regional instability.
