Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a summit in Beijing on the 20th to discuss the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, and energy cooperation measures including the "Power of Siberia 2" gas pipeline project. As the summit comes right after the U.S.-China summit, some expect the China-Russia alignment to stand out further within the U.S.-China-Russia triangular diplomatic framework.
According to China Central Television (CCTV), Putin arrived on the night of the 19th and is visiting China on a two-day, one-night schedule. The face-to-face meeting between Xi and Putin will take place for the first time in about eight months since September last year. China's state-run media called the back-to-back visits by the U.S. and Russian leaders scenes that demonstrate China's enhanced diplomatic stature.
◇ Six days after the U.S.-China summit … discussions on Ukraine and Iran
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two leaders will hold an official welcome ceremony in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in the morning, followed by a closed-door small-group meeting and an expanded meeting attended by the two countries' foreign ministers and others. The two leaders will also attend a ceremony for the "Year of Russia-China" (2026–2027). The China-Russia summit, set for the day, comes six days after the U.S.-China summit on the 14th.
The war in Ukraine and the war in Iran are expected to be the most important agenda items. In particular, there is talk that the end-of-war concept discussed at the U.S.-China summit and the U.S. position could be shared. Regarding the Middle East situation, the two countries are expected to discuss ways to ease tensions and stabilize energy supply chains. China and Russia are likely to reaffirm the need to build a multipolar international order centered on BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and to stress their intent to strengthen cooperation.
◇ Will the "Power of Siberia" gas pipeline project resume?
Economic and energy cooperation are also key agenda items. In the energy and economic cooperation arena, whether there will be progress on the "Power of Siberia 2" gas pipeline project is seen as the top focus. Connecting Russia, Mongolia, and China, the project would supply 50 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas annually to China and is regarded as a symbol of China-Russia strategic cooperation. But the two sides have not narrowed differences over gas prices and supply terms, delaying the signing of a final contract.
However, as the Iran war has recently heightened instability in energy supply chains, expectations are rising for a resumption of talks between the two countries. With uncertainty in the Strait of Hormuz growing, China has a greater need to reduce its dependence on the Middle East and secure alternative supply chains.
According to Bloomberg, Russian government officials said the Chinese side has recently shown more active interest in the talks. Russia expects the discussions to gain speed on the occasion of this summit. Wang Yiwei, dean of international studies at Renmin University of China, told Bloomberg, "China has no choice but to develop alternative transport routes and move more proactively to diversify risks."
According to the report, the Russian side aims to conclude price talks by September. Earlier this month, Putin also said, "On most of the key issues related to cooperation on gas and oil, we have in fact reached agreement with China," signaling his expectations.
After the talks, the two leaders are scheduled to issue a joint declaration focused on "building a new international order" and strengthening strategic cooperation, and to sign about 40 cooperation documents covering areas including the economy, energy, science and technology, and security. The People's Daily, the Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper, cited space research, energy, science and technology, agriculture, artificial intelligence (AI), eco-friendly projects, and biotechnology as potential areas for cooperation.