On the morning of May 20, Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in Beijing at the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square.
Outcome of the meeting
Following the talks, the sides adopted a joint declaration on the “formation of a multipolar world and a new type of international relations,” as well as a statement on “strengthening comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction.”
Yury Ushakov, an aide to Putin, said the document sets out the main directions for developing Russian-Chinese relations and a shared view of the international agenda. Ushakov also said the delegations agreed on “something very important” in the energy sector.
According to TASS, the two sides signed 20 documents on cooperation in various fields.
In addition, China extended its visa-free regime for Russians until the end of 2027. Russian citizens may therefore stay in the country without a visa for up to 30 days, with only a foreign passport required for entry.
What the sides said
In the open part of the talks, Putin said relations between Moscow and Beijing had reached an “unprecedentedly high level” and had become “a model of genuine comprehensive partnership.”
He also described cooperation between Russia and China as one of the main stabilizing factors in international affairs and said the two countries jointly support a “fairer democratic world order.”
Xi Jinping, for his part, said relations between the two countries had “step by step reached their current high level.”
According to him, the world is facing the risk of a return to the “law of the jungle,” and against that backdrop the treaty of friendship and cooperation between Russia and China is taking on particular importance.