Published on 5/20/2026
Energy, trade and global supply security issues dominated the meeting of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday, at a time when Moscow is trying to expand its exports to Asia with the continued turmoil in energy markets resulting from the war in the Middle East, according to what was reported by the Russian TASS agency.
During the talks, Putin stressed that Russia will continue “uninterrupted supplies of oil and gas to China,” noting that bilateral trade between the two countries is “protected from external influences and negative trends in global markets,” according to what was reported by the British Broadcasting Corporation “BBC.”
For his part, Xi Jinping stressed the “urgent necessity” of a ceasefire in the Middle East, warning of the repercussions of the war on international trade and global supply and energy chains, according to the German News Agency.
The most important gas project
The “Power of Siberia 2” project was strongly present at the summit, as Moscow seeks to advance the stalled project, which will allow the transportation of up to 50 billion cubic meters of Russian gas annually to China via Mongolia.
The BBC said that the Kremlin hopes that the language of “strategic partnership” will turn into actual economic agreements, especially in the energy sector, in light of Russia’s need for alternative markets after the decline in its exports to Europe since the Russian-Ukrainian war.
According to Russian government data, Moscow exported to China during 2025 about 101 million tons of crude oil and 49 billion cubic meters of gas through pipelines and liquefied natural gas shipments, which kept Russia the largest energy supplier to China.
More than 20 agreements
The summit witnessed the signing of more than 20 agreements and memorandums of understanding in the fields of trade, technology, scientific research and intellectual property, in addition to a joint declaration on the “multipolar global system,” according to what was reported by the BBC.
Putin described bilateral relations as having reached an “unprecedented level,” while Xi said that relations between the two countries had reached “the highest level of comprehensive strategic partnership.”
The summit comes at a time when the Chinese market is becoming increasingly important to Russia, with Western sanctions continuing, while Beijing views Russian supplies as a more stable source of energy in light of the turmoil in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
