Vladimir Putin held talks with President of People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping via video conference

Photo: Kremlin.ru

Vladimir Putin held talks with President of People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping via video conference, Kremlin informs.

TheKremlin, Moscow, February 4, 2026

Beginning of the videoconference with President of People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping

President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr President, my dear friend.

I am delighted that the good tradition we have established – to hold face-to-face conversations at the beginning of the year – carries on. This offers us an opportunity to sum up the results of the preceding period and outline our plans. Moreover, we are having this conversation on a symbolic day. According to the Chinese calendar, today is Lichun, which signifies the beginning of spring. This is when cold weather starts receding, and nature enters the renewal and awakening phase. But in terms of Russia-China relations, it can be argued with complete certainty that spring continues throughout the year, no matter the season.

I would like to personally wish Happy New Year 2026 to you and through you to the entire friendly Chinese nation. Please also accept my greetings on the Spring Festival, which will signal the beginning of the Year of the Fire Horse. As far as we know, this horse stands out by its strength, energy and determination to move ahead. This is also what makes the relations between our two countries so special. I am confident that they will remain resilient and will continue to steadily develop across all sectors regardless of momentary international developments.

Russia and China have forged an exemplary comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation. This year, we will be marking the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation. Of course, efforts to fulfil its provisions meet the core interests of our two nations and help enhance the comprehensive and truly inclusive cooperation between Russia and China. Importantly, they help improve the wellbeing of our people.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to reaffirm our resolute support for all our joint efforts to ensure the sovereignty and security of our two countries, their social and economic prosperity, and the right to choose their own development path.

I would like to say a few words about the results of last year. I believe that we properly celebrated the 80th anniversary of victory in World War II in Moscow in May and in Beijing in September. The fact that we did this together has demonstrated to the world our solidarity and Russia and China’s readiness to uphold historical truth and carefully preserve the memory of the heroism of our countries’ people, who sacrificed tens of millions of lives to restore peace on the planet. China’s Presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which culminated in the Tianjin summit, produced significant practical results.

During our talks in Moscow and Beijing, we held detailed discussions on the main spheres of our relations and mapped out ambitious tasks for the further deepening of bilateral cooperation. Our governments are working energetically every day to implement these agreements.

Economic cooperation continued to develop steadily in 2025. Despite a minor decline, which I would describe as an adjustment of indicators, our bilateral trade has been considerably above $200 billion for three years in a row.

Russia is the leading supplier of energy resources to the People’s Republic of China. Our energy partnership is mutually beneficial and truly strategic. We maintain an active dialogue in peaceful nuclear research and are promoting high-tech projects, including in industry and space exploration. According to our data, agricultural trade has increased by over 20 percent.

We are satisfied with the growth of our humanitarian exchanges. The cross years of culture were a success, and the more than 400 vibrant events held within their framework gained widespread attention among our people. We have not stopped there, of course. In particular, in the next few days, the Chinese New Year will be widely celebrated in Moscow and other Russian cities, which has become a good tradition here, while the residents and guests of Beijing will learn more about Russian traditions of seeing off winter during the Moscow Maslenitsa (Pancake Week) festival.

The cross-years of education have begun. Currently, over 56,000 Chinese students are studying in Russia and over 21,000 Russian students in China. There are dozens of Russian-Chinese educational institutions and university associations. We also maintain significant potential for further expansion in this area – especially since the age of innovation and advanced information technologies dictates the need for training experts in new and cutting-edge specialisations.

Visa-free travel certainly promotes growing business and humanitarian contacts. I appreciate your efforts regarding this initiative, which we eagerly supported. As far as I know, the relevant authorities have not had any considerable issues since visas were abolished.

Regarding international affairs, the ties between Moscow and Beijing in foreign policy remain an important stabilising factor amidst growing turbulence in the world. We are ready to continue the closest coordination on global and regional agendas, both bilaterally and within all the multilateral frameworks: the UN, BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and others, where the Russian-Chinese tandem plays an essential role. We wish our Chinese friends success and promise all necessary support during China’s chairmanship of the Asia-Pacific [Economic] Cooperation forum.

My dear friend, once again, Happy New Year and Happy Spring Festival! I wish you personally good health, prosperity and “success in tens of thousands of undertakings,” and to the friendly Chinese nation peace and prosperity.

Thank you.

Photo: Kremlin.ru

President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping (retranslated):

President Putin, my old and dear friend! It is a great pleasure to meet with you once again, even if by videoconference, at the start of this new year.

I note that today, according to the lunar calendar, is Lichun – the beginning of spring. As you rightly mentioned, this first of the 24 solar terms heralds the return of spring and symbolises new beginnings and hope. It is therefore a most fitting and symbolic day for our discussion, as we look to chart an ambitious new course for the advancement of our bilateral relations.

I would like to thank you for sending Comrade Shoigu to Beijing recently for consultations with Comrade Wang Yi on international and regional issues in preparation for our meeting. He has briefed me on the content of their discussions. Today, I look forward to a thorough exchange of views with you on our major strategic priorities.

Over the past year, our two meetings have helped steer China-Russia relations into a new phase of development. We solemnly commemorated the 80th anniversary of the victory of the global anti-fascist coalition, reaffirming our shared resolve to uphold the outcomes of World War II and the principles of international justice.

Our bilateral trade is growing both dynamically and steadily, while collaboration in new frontier sectors is accelerating.

The successful Years of Chinese and Russian Culture have taken our cultural and humanitarian ties to new heights, and people-to-people exchanges are more vibrant than ever.

Furthermore, through the SCO Summit in Tianjin and the SCO Heads of Government Council meeting in Moscow, we have strengthened our multilateral coordination. This allows us to continue our vital work in fostering a multipolar world order and a more just and equitable system of global governance.

The year 2026 marks the first year of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. China is committed to further expanding high-standard opening-up and stands ready to share the fresh opportunities of its new development stage with all countries, including Russia.

This year also marks the 30th anniversary of our strategic partnership, the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation, and the commencement of the China-Russia years of education.

It is therefore imperative that we seize this historic opportunity. By continually deepening our strategic coordination and jointly shouldering our responsibilities as major countries, we can ensure that China-Russia relations continue their steady and sustained advancement on the correct long-term trajectory.

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