Xi, Putin Sign Joint Statement on ‘Multipolar World’

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a joint statement following their meeting in Beijing, focusing on building a “multipolar world and a new type of international relations.” The two countries also announced a series of agreements aimed at strengthening future bilateral cooperation.

The meeting took place just days after U.S. President Donald Trump concluded his visit to China for a two-day summit with Xi.

Here are the key points from the Beijing and Moscow statements after the Russia-China summit.

Building a ‘Multipolar World’

On May 15, China’s Foreign Ministry stated: “The two countries will issue a joint statement supporting a multipolar world and a new type of international relations.” Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov described the statement as a 47-page policy document.

A “multipolar world” is understood as a world where power and influence in economic, military, and diplomatic terms are held by three or more countries, rather than just one or two.

Al Jazeera correspondent Katrina Yu in Beijing reported: “Xi is calling for a more multipolar world where the U.S. has less power and influence.”

Both Putin and Xi have voiced opposition to the “unipolar” hegemony they accuse the U.S. of imposing on the world. In 2022, shortly after the Russia-Ukraine war broke out, Putin accused the U.S. of provoking conflict in Ukraine to maintain global influence. Chinese state media quoted Xi during the meeting: “The wave of unipolar hegemony is raging.”

Bilateral Relations at an ‘Unprecedented’ Level

The statement on the Kremlin website noted that Russia-China relations have reached “a truly unprecedented level and continue to develop.” China’s Foreign Ministry said: “Both sides need to follow the trend of peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit to promote higher-quality development of China-Russia relations.”

The statements emphasized expanding bilateral cooperation into economics, sports, education, and media. The Kremlin noted that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the partnership between Russia’s TASS news agency and China’s Xinhua News Agency.

Deepening Economic Cooperation and Moving Away from the U.S. Dollar

The Kremlin reported that Beijing and Moscow signed approximately 40 intergovernmental, interagency, and corporate documents focused on promoting economic cooperation. The statement indicated bilateral trade reached nearly $240 billion last year, while China reported a 20% increase in trade over the first four months of this year.

Since the Ukraine war erupted in February 2022, Russia has increasingly relied on Chinese technology and manufacturing. Last month, Bloomberg reported that Russia now imports over 90% of technology targeted by U.S. and EU sanctions through China, using Chinese suppliers and intermediaries to obtain military and dual-use components for drone production and other defense industries.

China’s Foreign Ministry stated that both sides need to deepen the alignment of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan with Russia’s development strategy through 2030. The Kremlin noted that nearly all export-import transactions between Russia and China are conducted in rubles and yuan, creating a “stable trade system protected from external influence.”

Securing Energy Supply

The Kremlin said the two sides reached an agreement on the route and construction of the long-delayed Siberia 2 pipeline, though details are still under negotiation. Upon completion, the pipeline will transport 50 billion cubic meters of Russian gas annually to China via Mongolia, significantly expanding bilateral energy flows.

Russia is one of the largest exporters of oil, natural gas, and coal to China. As the European market largely closed to Russia due to the Ukraine war, China has emerged as a key buyer of Russian oil, benefiting from substantial discounts. In December 2022, the G7, EU, and Australia imposed a price cap on Russian oil at $60 per barrel, later reduced by the EU and UK to around $48 per barrel.

‘Year of Education’

Both statements indicated that Xi and Putin agreed to expand student exchange programs, university partnerships, and research platforms to promote joint scientific research.