Xi-Putin meet to highlight strategic talks

President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Russia from Wednesday to Saturday and attend celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday.

In Moscow, Xi will have strategic communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin on China-Russia relations under new circumstances and on a series of major international and regional issues.

"We believe the important common understandings between the two presidents will further deepen political mutual trust between the two countries, add new substance to strategic coordination, and promote practical cooperation in various fields," a ministry spokesperson said in a statement.

The visit is also expected to bring more benefits to the two peoples, and contribute more stability and positive energy to the international community, the spokesperson said.

Experts from both countries said the visit, which comes as the international order undergoes profound adjustments and multilateralism is challenged by unilateralism, is set to boost the China-Russia relationship, demonstrate to the international community the firm stance of China and Russia in supporting multilateralism and their opposition to unilateralism and acts of bullying.

This will be Xi's 11th visit to Russia since 2013. Over the past years, Xi and Putin have met with each other more than 40 times, guiding the China-Russia relationship in the new era to forge ahead despite a complex external environment.

Li Yonghui, a research fellow of Russian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the upcoming highest-level in-person engagement between Beijing and Moscow will help reinforce the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era, which was established in 2019.

According to Li, frequent meetings and various communication methods have enabled Xi and Putin to coordinate their positions on bilateral relations, international situation and global governance.

"It is based on the political mutual trust enhanced through head-of-state diplomacy that the two countries have set up cooperation mechanisms at various levels, such as the regular meeting between the heads of government, so as to ensure the implementation of cooperation agreements," Li said.

China and Russia have achieved remarkable results in cooperation in fields such as automotives, electromechanicals and agriculture, and witnessed a strong momentum of cooperation in emerging areas.

In 2023, the two-way trade between China and Russia exceeded $240 billion and surpassed targets ahead of schedule. China has maintained its position as Russia's largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years, while Russia has risen to become China's eighth-largest trading partner.

Oleg Timofeev, associate professor at RUDN University in Russia, said an important part of the discussions between the two leaders will inevitably be economic cooperation between the two countries.

"Over the past two years, our two sides have managed to transition to national currencies in bilateral trade settlement. There is noticeable potential in bilateral trade and economic relations," he said.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Great Patriotic War and the World Anti-Fascist War.

As the two main theaters of Asia and Europe in World War II, China and Russia made immense sacrifice and major, historic contributions to secure victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and save their nations.

According to the spokesperson, Xi and Putin had previously agreed that the two sides will jointly remember history, honor martyrs, promote the correct view of the history of World War II and defend the outcomes of the victory in the war and the post-war international order, and uphold international fairness and justice.

At this special historic juncture, Xi's attendance at the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War in Moscow is also reflective of China and Russia's support for each other's commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, the spokesperson said.

Li from the CASS said that joint commemorations of these historic events will help preserve and promote the profound traditional friendship forged between the two peoples during the World Anti-Fascist War, strengthen the public support for China-Russia relations and inject new momentum into the stable development of ties.

As this year also marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, the spokesperson said China and Russia will further strengthen their close coordination in the UN and other multilateral platforms and rally the Global South in shaping global governance in the right direction.