President Putin makes statement on Russia-China relations ahead of SCO summit

Russian Federation's RT channel reported on the evening of August 29, local time, that President Vladimir Putin declared that the Russian Federation and China are "united in their vision" of a fair, multipolar world order, ahead of an official visit to China to attend high-level talks at the SCO summit and the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II.

In a written interview with Xinhua published ahead of the trip, the Russian President asserted that the Moscow-Beijing partnership is a stabilizing force on the international stage, playing an important role in shaping global issues.

“During our many discussions on key international issues, we have seen that Moscow and Beijing share a wide range of common interests and have strikingly similar views on fundamental issues. We are united in our vision of building a just, multipolar world order, with the countries of the ‘Global Majority’ at its core,” Putin said.

“As the two leading powers in the Eurasian region, we cannot remain indifferent to the challenges and threats facing our continent and the wider world,” the Russian leader added, stressing that this remains a “permanent focus” of bilateral political dialogue.

Mr. Putin also highlighted the Russian Federation's concept of an “equal and indivisible common security space in Eurasia,” which he said was very compatible with the Global Security Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

President Putin said that this visit follows the success of President Xi's state visit to Moscow in May, marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany.

“President Xi Jinping has always respected the history of his country… He is a true leader of a world power, a man with a strong will, strategic vision and global perspective, steadfast in defending national interests,” the Russian leader said, calling Xi “an example for the whole world of how respectful and fair dialogue with foreign partners can and should be today.”

According to RT, the official visit of the President of the Russian Federation to China will take place from August 31 to September 3, starting with Mr. Putin attending the SCO summit in Tianjin, followed by Victory Day events in Beijing.

In the Chinese capital, Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, first in an expanded session with the participation of key ministers and businessmen, and then in a private meeting.

The agenda includes regional security, relations with the United States, the conflict in Ukraine and upcoming multilateral summits.

On the sidelines, President Putin is expected to meet leaders from Iran, India, Türkiye and other countries.

Regarding the official visit of the President of the Russian Federation to China, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on August 28 that this visit is an "unprecedented" event.

Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov added that such long foreign visits by President Putin are "extremely rare." Putin last visited China in May 2024 and the visit lasted only two days.