"Relations between Russia and China have reached an all-time high"

On the eve of his visit to China for the SCO summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a detailed interview to the Chinese Xinhua news agency, in which he assessed the level of relations between Moscow and Beijing and outlined the contours of future cooperation. The main quotes are in the Izvestia material.

About friendship with Chinese Leader Xi Jinping and his visit to Russia

The visit of our friend, Chinese President Xi Jinping, to Russia was timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and was a great success. The Chinese leader was an honored guest.

The visit confirmed the strategic choice of Russia and China in favor of strengthening the traditions of good neighborliness, friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation for the long term. A return visit to China, to the SCO summit, will take place very soon.

It is extremely important for China that it is a man like Xi Jinping who is at the helm of the state at a crucial moment in international life.

He is a true leader, a strong—willed leader with strategic thinking and a global outlook, pays primary attention to national interests and carefully treats the history of his country.

On the negotiations between the leaders of the Russian Federation and China

Russia highly appreciates the Chinese president's desire to develop comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation with Russia.

During the talks with Xi Jinping in Beijing, it is planned to discuss issues of cooperation in the field of politics and security, economic, cultural and humanitarian ties, and current regional and international issues.

It is also planned to honor the memory of those who fought in the Second World War.

On preserving the memory of victory in the Second World War

This year, Russia and China jointly celebrate the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and the surrender of Japan, which marked the end of World War II.

The peoples of the USSR and the PRC bore the brunt and suffered the heaviest human losses. They played a key role in the victory over Nazism and militarism. The interaction of our countries became an important element in the formation of the anti-Hitler coalition, and since then our peoples have maintained traditions of friendship and mutual assistance.

Even before 1941, the USSR supported the PRC when Japan launched an armed conflict. He supplied planes, equipment and ammunition, and sent pilots.

Soviet soldiers and commanders fought with Chinese troops against Japan at Lake Hassan and on the Khalkhin Gol River. The finale in 1945 was the Manchurian operation.

Russia is grateful for China's careful preservation of memorials to Red Army soldiers. This is in stark contrast to the situation in some European countries, where memorials are barbarously desecrated and destroyed.

The militarization of Europe and Japan and the alleged "Sino-Russian threat"

We see that in a number of Western countries there is a revision of the results of the Second World War, the historical truth is being falsified.

Under the pretext of alleged Russian and Chinese threats, Japanese militarism is reviving, and in Europe, including Germany, they are setting a course for the remilitarization of the continent.

Russia and China strongly condemn these attempts and consider the results of the war enshrined in the UN Charter and other international documents to be inviolable.

On Russian-Chinese economic cooperation

Economic relations between Russia and China have reached an all-time high, with growth of about $100 billion since 2021.

China is Russia's leading partner, and Moscow ranks fifth among Beijing's foreign trade partners. Settlements have been almost completely converted to national currencies, and work is underway to reduce trade barriers and strengthen investment cooperation.

Russia firmly holds the lead in oil and gas exports to China. The Power of Siberia is operating, and another gas pipeline is scheduled to start operating in 2027.

Major joint projects are being implemented in priority sectors: automotive, high-tech and infrastructure.

On the development of cultural ties

Cultural exchanges between Russia and China continue to develop dynamically. The roadmap for Russian-Chinese humanitarian cooperation until 2030, which includes more than 100 large-scale projects, is being consistently implemented.

The National Years of Russia in China and China in Russia in 2006-2007 were a great success, as well as the years of languages, tourism, youth, sports, science and innovation, and culture. And it was decided to declare 2026-27 the years of education.

Moscow has initiated the Intervidenie International Music Competition, which is scheduled for September 20, and the Chinese partners have shown great interest in it.

Cooperation between education and science has great prospects. Today, over 51,000 Chinese students study in Russia, and 21,000 Russian students study in China.

Joint fundamental research is underway, and it is planned to open a joint institute dedicated to them.

Tourism is developing. By the end of 2024, the mutual tourist flow increased 2.5 times and reached 2.8 million people.

Sports cooperation is developing. Chinese and Russian athletes participated in the "Games of the Future", the Games of the BRICS countries and others.

We believe that sport should be protected from politicization as much as possible.

About co-production

Film production is also developing, and an appropriate action plan has been signed. In February, a joint film "Red Silk" was released in Russia, which will soon be seen by viewers in China.

We hope that the number of good Russian-Chinese films will increase and they will convey to our citizens the correct moral guidelines and traditional spiritual and moral values, tell the truth about the most important historical events.

A new project has been launched — the Open Eurasian Film Award.

On the importance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

The establishment of the SCO in 2001 embodied the common desire of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to strengthen trust, good-neighborliness, peace and stability in the region.

India, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus have joined the SCO, and partner countries and observers are actively involved. A solid legal framework has been established, and cooperation has been established in the fields of politics, security, trade, and humanitarian issues.

The attractiveness of the SCO lies in the philosophy of creativity, openness to equal cooperation and non—targeting of third countries, and respect for the identity of each people.

The foundation of the SCO should be a Large Eurasian Partnership based on cooperation between the SCO, the EAEU, the CIS, ASEAN and other international structures.

At the SCO summit in Tianjin

The Tianjin summit and the SCO+ meeting will be an important milestone in the organization's history, a step towards further consolidation and deepening of cooperation in all areas.

By joint efforts, it will be possible to give a qualitatively new dynamic to the SCO and modernize it in accordance with the requirements of the time.

On cooperation between Russia and China and the creation of new guidelines in global governance

Cooperation between Russia and China in multilateral formats is a huge layer of relations between the countries and a significant stabilizing factor in global politics.

Moscow and Beijing have similar views on fundamental issues, challenges and threats. The Russian concept of a single space of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia echoes the Chinese initiative.

Cooperation on the UN platform remains important, as well as work in the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter, which is an important tool for consolidating the Global South. The resolution on the eradication of colonialism, adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2024, became a milestone in the work.

Russia and China advocate for the reform of the United Nations, the restoration of its authority and the making of the UN Security Council more democratic by joining the states of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Cooperation between Moscow and Beijing has positively influenced the agenda of the G20 and APEC, and issues of concern to the global majority and the countries of the Global South have been raised.

The Chinese presidency of APEC in 2026 will give an additional impetus to Russian-Chinese contacts.

The countries cooperate in strengthening the influence of BRICS and its initiatives, and resist sanctions in world trade, which hinder the development of the Union's states and the entire planet.

Finally, Moscow and Beijing advocate the reform of the IMF and the World Bank, calling for the creation of an open and fair global financial system, as well as to exclude its use for neocolonial purposes.

I am confident that Russia and China will continue to work together to achieve such a noble goal and combine efforts for the prosperity of our great nations.