Negotiations between Putin and Xi Jinping in Beijing: visa-free travel until 2027, "Power of Siberia – 2" and tough statements towards the West

      Putin announced the growth of trade turnover between Russia and China to $240 billion

      Visit Objectives

      On the runway the day before, Vladimir Putin was greeted by the Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi, as well as an honor guard and military band. Recall that according to China's state protocol, the highest-ranking official of the country never meets foreign guests at the airplane's ramp. The official ceremonial welcome, featuring Xi Jinping, a red carpet, an honor guard, and a military band, traditionally takes place later – in the square in front of the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing. Vladimir Putin's trip coincides with the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, Friendship, and Cooperation between Russia and China. Along with the Russian president, a representative delegation arrived in China: five deputy prime ministers, eight ministers, the head of the Central Bank Elvira Nabiullina, bankers, heads of several state corporations, and regional leaders. The last time Vladimir Putin visited China on an official visit was on May 16-17, 2024. At that time, he held talks with the Chairman of China Xi Jinping in Beijing and also visited Harbin.

      "We haven't seen each other for a day, but it feels like three autumns have passed"

      Vladimir Putin arrived by Aurus car at the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square. Along the road, children lined up with flags of Russia and China. Chairman Xi Jinping welcomed the Russian leader along with an honor guard and military band. The heads of state exchanged handshakes and greeted the delegations of both countries. In honor of the arrival of the Russian president, several cannon salutes were fired. Vladimir Putin poetically addressed Xi Jinping with a line from the "Book of Songs" – a famous monument of Chinese literature compiled in the 6th-5th centuries BC. "As far as we know, in China they say: 'We haven't seen each other for a day, but it feels like three autumns have passed,'" said the Russian president. In ancient China, the word "autumn" in the context of a harvest year was often equated to a whole year. Thus, the expression "three autumns" meant three years. "We constantly synchronize our watches both personally and through our assistants. I fondly remember how last year we had the opportunity to participate together in the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory in World War II," continued Vladimir Putin, recalling the visit of the Chairman of China to Moscow on May 7-10, 2025. After the ceremony, the parties proceeded to the Great Hall of the People, where they held talks first in a narrow format and then in an expanded format. There was also a meeting of the Russian delegation with the Premier of the State Council of China Li Qiang.

      Unlike Trump

      In diplomacy, even the smallest details of protocol can tell a lot about the nature of relations between countries. A few days earlier – from May 13 to 15 – U.S. President Donald Trump made a state visit to China. The comparison of the almost simultaneous visits of the presidents of the U.S. and Russia allows us to conclude that China has become one of the main centers of world diplomacy. This underscores Beijing's status as a key arbiter in the emerging architecture of international relations. The comparison of Trump and Putin's visits was inevitable even at the level of reception details. Thus, Donald Trump was greeted at the airport by State Counselor Shen Yiqin, who is not a member of the Politburo, while Vladimir Putin was welcomed by Foreign Minister Wang Yi – an active member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee. Although the position of state counselor is formally comparable in status to deputy prime ministers of the State Council, in China, party rank traditionally carries more weight than state rank. Therefore, Wang Yi, as a member of the Politburo, has significantly greater political influence. Even such a detail as the level of the welcoming official speaks volumes about the attitude of the host side. It is known that Trump's visit ended without major recorded agreements, although the parties actively exchanged public compliments, and the trip itself was accompanied by a large number of political show elements. In the case of Vladimir Putin, on the contrary, the atmosphere was distinctly businesslike and pragmatic – the meeting was focused on specific results of the negotiations.

      Outcomes of the Negotiations

      Following the negotiations, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping addressed the press. The main points from the leaders' statements:

      - The leaders of Russia and China in a joint declaration pointed to the danger of returning to the "law of the jungle" in world affairs;

      - There are no "first-class" countries and peoples in the world, and hegemonism in any form is unacceptable;

      - Russia and China oppose the use of human rights issues as a pretext for interference in the internal affairs of states;

      - Moscow and Beijing oppose unilateral sanctions not agreed upon with the UN Security Council;

      - Russia and China condemn initiatives related to the blocking, arrest, or seizure of foreign states' assets;

      - Russia and China are concerned about the militarization of the U.S. and its allies;

      - U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran are called illegal and undermining stability in the Middle East;

      - The parties opposed pressure on North Korea;

      - NATO's presence in the Asia-Pacific region, in the opinion of Moscow and Beijing, is incompatible with strengthening peace.

      As can be seen, the statements turned out to be quite tough and critical, primarily towards the U.S. and NATO countries, whose actions, according to the parties, have led the world system to an extremely unstable state.

      As for the practical outcomes of the visit, the parties signed a package of about 40 intergovernmental, interagency, and corporate documents. A significant part of them concerns the further expansion of economic cooperation between Russia and China. One of the specific decisions was the extension of the visa-free regime until 2027.

      In the first months of 2026, the trade turnover between the two countries grew by about 20%, with almost all mutual settlements now being conducted in rubles and yuan. Special attention during the negotiations was paid to energy and logistics. Work continues on the "Power of Siberia – 2" gas pipeline project, the development of railway routes, and the Northern Sea Route. In addition, the parties agreed to expand cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, digital economy, and transport infrastructure. Vladimir Putin noted with satisfaction that in 2025, the trade turnover between Russia and China reached nearly $240 billion, and its structure has significantly expanded, including due to high value-added products. According to him, a stable system of mutual trade has already been established between Russia and China, protected from external pressure and negative fluctuations in global markets.

      Photo: kremlin.ru

      More news about the event:

      An expert explained what the extension of the main agreement between Russia and China means

      The Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, Friendship, and Cooperation, extended by the leaders of Russia and China Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping during the Beijing negotiations, is a fundamental document, 22:36 20.05.2026 Business Online - Kazan

      Negotiations between Putin and Xi Jinping in Beijing: visa-free until 2027, "Power of Siberia – 2" and tough statements towards the West

      Putin announced the growth of trade turnover between Russia and China to $240 billion

      Visit Objectives

      On the runway the day before, Vladimir Putin was greeted by the Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi, as well as an honor guard and military band. 18:54 20.05.2026 IA Tatar-inform - Kazan

      Visa-free regime, $240 billion trade turnover, and 40 agreements: Putin completed his visit to China

      Russian President Vladimir Putin completed a two-day visit to China, marking his first foreign trip in 2026. 18:36 20.05.2026 Business Online - Kazan

      Trump positively assessed the negotiations between Putin and Xi Jinping in Beijing

      The U.S. President told reporters that he manages to find common ground with both politicians

      Photo: 18:27 20.05.2026 Real Time - Kazan

      News from neighboring regions on the topic:

      The collapse of the hegemon: a former CIA employee stated that the meeting between Putin and Xi Jinping buried Western dominance

      Former CIA and State Department analyst Larry Johnson stated that the negotiations between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping in Beijing sent a clear signal – the time of the unipolar world is coming to an end. 22:47 20.05.2026 MosRegToday.Ru - Moscow Region

      The head of the Federal Customs Service of Russia Valery Pikalov participated in the official visit of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to the People's Republic of China

      Published: May 20, 2026, 11:38

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      Due to Putin's visit following Trump's arrival, there was surprise in China

      Image created using AI. The Chinese are surprised that the visit of the Russian leader follows immediately after Trump's visit, but are happy about the arrival of a "big friend." 21:21 20.05.2026 TK Krasnodar - Krasnodar

      Vladimir Putin participated in negotiations with China

      Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in the People's Republic of China at the invitation of Chairman Xi Jinping.