Putin, Xi discuss Russia-US Alaska talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Sunday discussed recent contacts between Russia and the United States, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said.

Putin had held talks in Alaska with US President Donald Trump earlier this month. Xi and Putin met on the sidelines of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin.

Ahead of the SCO summit, Putin had reaffirmed cooperation between Russia and China. In an interview, he had expressed his eagerness to hold a discussion with Xi Jinping on “all aspects” of Russia's bilateral agenda.

“I look forward to in-depth discussions with President Xi Jinping on all aspects of our bilateral agenda, including political and security cooperation, as well as economic, cultural and humanitarian ties. And, as always, we will exchange views on pressing regional and international issues,” Putin said.

Noting the “unprecedented” growth in Russia-China relations, Putin said the bilateral trade with Moscow's leading partner had grown by about $100 billion since 2021.

“In terms of trade volume, China is by far Russia's leading partner, while last year Russia ranked fifth among China's foreign trade partners,” Putin told Xinhua news agency, adding that transactions between Russia and China were almost completely carried out in rubles and yuan.

Putin also reaffirmed that China remained its leading importer of oil and gas, adding that the two sides continued their joint efforts to reduce bilateral trade barriers.

“Russia firmly retains its position as a leading exporter of oil and gas to China. Since the Power of Siberia pipeline began its operation in 2019, cumulative deliveries of natural gas have already exceeded 100 billion cubic metres. In 2027, we plan to launch another major gas route, the so-called Far Eastern Route,” he specified.

"We continue our joint efforts to reduce bilateral trade barriers. In recent years, the export of pork and beef to China has been launched," Putin noted, adding that Russia was one of the world's principal markets for Chinese car exports. The SCO summit comes amidst US tariffs imposed on many of its member countries, including India on who a staggering total of 50 per cent was imposed.

Putin said SCO contributed to "shaping a multipolar world order" as it promoted equal cooperation without targeting any third parties and mutual respect for the uniqueness of each nation.