The Kremlin stated on Wednesday that a general understanding has been reached with China regarding their joint Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, but key details and the timeline for the massive project still require coordination. The parties also issued a joint statement mentioning Ukraine. This was reported by Reuters and the BBC, according to UNN.
Gas Project
Russia and China have been negotiating for years over a pipeline that would supply gas to China via Mongolia from Russia's gas "heartland" in northern Siberia, while pricing and other issues remain unresolved. Currently, there is one gas pipeline from Russia to China – Power of Siberia – which transports over 38 billion cubic meters of gas per year from eastern Siberia.
Among the documents signed during Putin's visit and published by the Kremlin, there was no mention of any oil and gas deals.
"The President stated during the negotiations that, in general, there is already a common understanding of the main parameters for Power of Siberia 2," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian media.
"There is an agreement on the route and how the project will be built. Some details still require final coordination, but overall, such an understanding already exists," he said.
However, according to Peskov, there was no implementation schedule for the pipeline.
Earlier, the Kremlin stated that Putin and Xi had reached an agreement on something important in energy, but it was unclear if it concerned the pipeline.
The planned 2,600 km Power of Siberia 2 is expected to transport 50 billion cubic meters of gas per year to China via Mongolia from the Arctic gas fields of Yamal.
A firm agreement covering pricing and other key issues remains elusive, making the project impossible to develop further, the publication notes.
During his visit to China in September, Putin stated that the gas price in the system would be based on a market formula similar to the one used for Russian supplies to Europe.
The project has taken on new significance for Russia as sanctions imposed after the Russian invasion of Ukraine have cut it off from most European customers.
Progress in Strategic Ties
Overall, the leaders of China and Russia stated on Wednesday that they had made progress in their strategic ties during a meeting in Beijing.
Xi met Putin with an honor guard and a cannon salute at the Great Hall of the People, while children waved Chinese and Russian flags. Alongside official talks, Xi and Putin are expected to conclude the day with a small meeting over tea.
Coming immediately after Trump's visit to the Chinese capital, the optics and results of the summit between the Chinese and Russian leaders will be closely watched.
At a ceremony where the leaders presided over the signing of a series of bilateral agreements and statements, Xi stated that both Russia and China must resist "all unilateral bullying and actions that change history."
In a joint declaration, the countries stated that attempts by some nations to dominate world affairs in the spirit of the colonial era have failed, but the world is under threat of returning to the "law of the jungle."
Regarding Ukraine
Regarding Ukraine, Russia and China stated that the "root causes" of the conflict must be addressed – a phrase borrowed from Kremlin rhetoric justifying the invasion.
It also mentions the need to respect the UN Charter, which confirms Beijing's reluctance to provide explicit support for a war that violates international law, the BBC writes.
Speaking on Russian state television, Putin's foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov stated that Putin and Xi would discuss international issues during their closed-door tea meeting later, specifically "Ukraine, Iran, and relations with the United States."
Agreement on Railway Connections
As Bloomberg notes, Russia and China signed an agreement to jointly build a new railway line across their shared border, part of a broader initiative to expand transport links and trade between the two countries. Officials signed the agreement in Beijing on Wednesday during a ceremony attended by Xi Jinping and Putin.
The project involves building a second railway line with Chinese standard gauge at the border between Zabaykalsk in Russia's Far East and Manzhouli in China's Inner Mongolia, Russia's Ministry of Transport previously reported. The new line is expected to increase annual capacity by 11 million tons by 2030, or nearly 50 additional pairs of freight trains per day, the ministry in Moscow stated in March.
The Zabaykalsk-Manzhouli crossing is the busiest railway checkpoint on the border between Russia and China and the most important trade artery. Currently, cargo must be reloaded between Russian wagons with a wider 1520 mm gauge and Chinese standard 1435 mm gauge.
Moscow has used its railway network to redirect a significant portion of its commodity exports, such as coal and aluminum, to China, as the EU imposed import restrictions on Russia and some buyers turned away from Russian materials.
Russia is also increasing agricultural exports to its eastern neighbor, particularly via land transport. Earlier, both countries announced their intention to increase trade volumes by developing joint agricultural infrastructure projects in the Far East, including grain terminals, food processing plants, and supply routes to China.
Russian exports of animal feed to China could also receive a boost after officials from both countries signed an agreement on veterinary and sanitary requirements for these products during Putin's visit to the Chinese capital.
Visa-Free Travel
China has extended the visa-free regime for Russians until the end of 2027, according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Russian citizens can now enter China without a visa for up to 30 days, as the BBC indicates, a spokesperson for the country's Foreign Ministry told reporters.
Russia will also continue its policy of visa-free entry for Chinese citizens until the end of 2027, as reported by Russian media citing Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
Joint Statement Contains No Significant Breakthroughs
As the BBC analyzes, the long joint statement by China and the Russian Federation on strengthening relations after the Xi-Putin talks "contains no signs of significant breakthroughs, but rather repeats previously known positions."
Regarding the key issue of Russian gas supplies, it only states that Putin and Xi "agreed to continue deepening comprehensive partnership relations in the energy sector" and "deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields of oil and gas, as well as coal."
As the BBC points out, China and Russia also used the joint statement of the Xi-Putin summit to condemn the planned US "Golden Dome" project and the prospect of launching weapons into space.
Furthermore, in additional comments to the joint statement published by the Kremlin, China and Russia called on countries to stop "unilateral" interference in international trade and supply chains – an apparent hint at the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement also condemns various forms of military adventurism worldwide and apparently refers to United States actions in Iran and Venezuela over the past six months, the BBC notes.
Other Statements
Russia hopes to equip its flagship artificial intelligence model GigaChat with Chinese-made chips, the CEO of Sberbank stated during Putin's visit to China.
"We hope that we can use Chinese microchips for GigaChat," CEO Herman Gref told the state broadcaster.
Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not rule out a meeting between Putin and US President Donald Trump at the APEC summit in China in November.