During a one-and-a-half-hour tea talk at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the evening of 20/5, Chinese President Xi Jinping affirmed his consistent close contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the years.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that during their discussion, the two sides ensured the comprehensive China-Russia strategic cooperative partnership continued its stable and substantive development. This created a new model for great power relations based on mutual respect, fairness, justice, and mutually beneficial cooperation, providing much-needed stability in a turbulent and unstable world.

President Putin (left) and President Xi Jinping during the tea talk. Photo: Xinhua

Xi stated that during President Putin's visit, the two leaders reached new and significant consensuses on advancing China-Russia relations.

Xi quoted the Chinese proverb, "He who perseveres will succeed; he who keeps walking will reach his destination," expressing confidence that China-Russia relations will maintain high-quality development and reach new heights.

TASS news agency reported that the two leaders discussed "the most important issues on the agenda" during the tea talk. Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin foreign policy advisor, affirmed that the tea reception was "the most important event" of President Putin's visit to China, as the friendly atmosphere was ideal for discussing sensitive matters.

President Putin assessed this visit to China as effective and yielding many positive results. The two leaders exchanged views on various topics, including the Ukraine conflict, and outlined directions for bilateral cooperation in the next phase.

President Putin arrived in Beijing on 19/5, commencing a two-day visit to China. This marks his second meeting with Xi within a year, following a four-day trip by the Russian leader in late August 2025.

During the talks on 20/5, the two leaders agreed on the need for solutions to the "root causes" of the Ukraine conflict, advocating for resolution through dialogue and negotiation. According to a joint statement released by the Kremlin, both sides also underscored the importance of dialogue and negotiation in the Middle East conflict.

China and Russia reached a consensus on the key parameters, routes, and construction methods for the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline project. However, the Kremlin indicated that the two sides "do not yet have a concrete roadmap for implementing" this mega-project.

The Power of Siberia 2 project holds particular importance for Russia, as most European customers have severed ties with Russian gas due to the operation in Ukraine.

During his visit to China last year, President Putin stated that gas prices on the system would be based on a market formula similar to that applied to Russian shipments to Europe. However, China has not yet agreed to this formula.

By Huyen Le (According to TASS, Fmprc, Xinhua)