An ‘unyielding’ alliance: Key takeaways from the Putin-Xi meeting

With a giant photo of themselves in the background, Russia's President Vladimir Putin and China's President Xi Jinping tour a photo exhibition on Russia-China ties in Beijing on May 20, 2026. Photo by Alexander KAZAKOV/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

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BEIJING — China’s President Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin met in Beijing on Wednesday, just days after Donald Trump left the Chinese capital, seeking to underscore their close ties.

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Here are the key takeaways from the talks between the two leaders:

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Outdoing Trump

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Xi and Putin — who have met dozens of times over the past decade — were keen to showcase their unshakeable relations in the aftermath of Trump’s visit to Beijing.

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Neither leader referred to the United States directly on Wednesday, but Putin said ties were at an “unprecedentedly high level”, while Xi described relations as “unyielding.”

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The Chinese leader also made an apparent swipe at the United States when he warned of “unilateral and hegemonic countercurrents running rampant” in the international system.

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And while Trump left Beijing with few concrete announcements, Xi and Putin signed a slew of agreements on trade, media, and energy.

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They also extended their treaty of “friendly cooperation” as both leaders lauded their countries’ special ties.

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Putin also invited Xi to visit Russia next year, and said he intended to be at November’s APEC summit in Shenzhen — which Trump has also said he will try to attend.

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Iran War

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Xi told Putin that the Middle East was at a “critical juncture” and called for an “early end to the conflict,” in particular to secure energy supplies.

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“A comprehensive ceasefire is of utmost urgency, resuming hostilities is even more inadvisable and maintaining negotiations is particularly important,” he said.

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The two sides stressed the need for dialogue and negotiations, according to a joint statement released by the Kremlin.

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Xi’s priorities may differ from the Russian president’s, however, as the pinch on crude and gas flows from the Middle East gives an opportunity to Putin to offer Russian energy sources as an alternative.

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The Russian leader described the energy sector as “the locomotive of economic cooperation”, adding that Russia would remain a “reliable supplier” of resources to China against the backdrop of the war.

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No pipeline breakthrough

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China is the world’s top buyer of Russian fossil fuels, making it a key economic partner of Moscow, which is facing Western sanctions on oil and gas over the Ukraine war.

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But the Kremlin said Wednesday that there had been no breakthrough on the proposed “Power of Siberia 2” natural gas pipeline, pushed for years by Moscow.

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It would carry 50 billion cubic metres of gas a year, and help make up for the exports Russia used to send to Europe before it launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on May 20, 2026. Photo by Maxim Shemetov/Pool/Getty Images

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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian media on Wednesday that while the two sides had reached a “basic understanding” — including on the route and how it will be built — there was no “clear timeline,” and “there are still some details to be worked out”.