Overview
- Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin held a televised video call lauding a “stabilising” China–Russia partnership, with Xi proposing a new plan to advance ties and both leaders highlighting strategic energy cooperation.
- Russia said Putin accepted Xi’s invitation to visit China in the first half of the year and plans to attend the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November, according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
- Hours later, Xi spoke by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump, who described the conversation as long and positive and said it covered trade, Taiwan, military issues, the Ukraine war, Iran and his April trip to China.
- Trump said China is considering purchases of U.S. oil and gas, additional agricultural goods including higher soybean volumes this season and next, and airplane engines, though Chinese readouts did not confirm these specifics.
- The diplomacy unfolded as U.S.-brokered Russia–Ukraine talks continued in Abu Dhabi and on the eve of the New START treaty’s expiry, sharpening attention on strategic stability and potential deliverables on energy and trade.