The state visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China from May 19th to 20th further strengthened relations between the two countries. Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin jointly signed and released a new joint statement, agreed to extend the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between China and Russia, and witnessed the signing of twenty documents on mutual cooperation.

During the talks, the two leaders engaged in strategic communication on key international issues and reached new agreements to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Russia. According to the Chinese side, the relationship between the two powers goes far beyond the scope of ordinary bilateral relations and represents an important stabilizing factor in a time of global order transformation.

This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the strategic partnership between China and Russia and the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. According to Beijing, the regular contact between the highest representatives of both countries is the main driving force for the development of mutual relations in a new era.

Over more than ten years, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin have met in person more than forty times, and dozens of other contacts have taken place through phone calls or letters. China describes the current relationship with Russia as the strongest period of mutual cooperation in history.

This visit was Vladimir Putin's 25th trip to China. During his meeting with Xi Jinping, the Russian President recalled an old Chinese proverb: "One day without meeting is like three years of separation." According to Chinese media, this expressed the personal friendship between the two leaders and the exceptional level of China-Russia relations.

CMG