Xi and Putin Meet at SCO Summit, Affirm Strategic Ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a bilateral meeting on August 31 on the sidelines of the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, reaffirming their strategic partnership amid what Xi described as an increasingly “uncertain and unpredictable” international landscape. The meeting marked their first face-to-face encounter since Putin’s state visit to Beijing in May 2026, during which the two leaders agreed on deepening cooperation across multiple sectors.

According to Xinhua News, Xi noted that the two countries’ relevant departments are actively implementing the agreements reached during Putin’s May visit, with “many results already achieved” and bilateral exchanges maintaining a “vigorous development momentum.” The Chinese leader expressed confidence that under their “strategic guidance and joint efforts,” the foundation of China-Russia relations would become “more solid, the pace more determined, and the prospects even brighter.”

A Model of State-to-State Relations

Putin, for his part, characterized Russia-China relations as “a model for relations between countries,” emphasizing that both nations continue to deepen comprehensive strategic coordination while adhering to principles of equality, mutual trust, and mutual support. The Russian president highlighted rapid development across trade, energy, industry, transportation, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges.

“We are implementing large projects in energy, industry, space, transportation, and logistics,” Putin said, according to Rosbalt. “The first regular voyage of a Chinese container ship was carried out in mid-August along the Northern Sea Route. Mutual agricultural supplies are growing at a high rate — plus 34 percent.”

Putin also expressed Russia’s readiness to work toward making the visa-free travel regime between the two countries permanent, building on a pilot program that has significantly boosted tourism exchanges. In the first half of 2026, 380,600 Chinese citizens visited Russia (up 19.7% year-on-year), while 396,000 Russians traveled to China (up 62.4%).

The meeting was attended by senior officials from both sides, including Cai Qi, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and other senior officials also participated.

SCO’s 25th Anniversary Summit

The bilateral meeting took place within the broader context of the 26th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State, held from August 31 to September 1 in Bishkek, marking the 25th anniversary of the organization’s founding. The summit brought together leaders from all ten member states — China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan — along with dialogue partners and observer states.

The SCO, founded in 2001, now represents approximately 40% of the world’s population (3.4 billion people), about 25% of global GDP, and more than 15% of international trade, as noted by Al Jazeera. The organization has expanded significantly over the past decade, with India and Pakistan joining in 2017, Iran in 2023, and Belarus in 2024.

Xi emphasized the SCO’s important mission in maintaining regional stability and promoting regional development, expressing China’s willingness to work with all parties to discuss the organization’s development plans. “The Shanghai Cooperation Organization shoulders an important mission in maintaining regional stability and promoting regional development,” Xi said, according to the official readout.

Geopolitical Backdrop

The summit took place against a complex geopolitical backdrop, including Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine — now in its fifth year — and the US-Iran conflict, which has entered its sixth month. According to Al Jazeera’s analysis of the summit, the Bishkek Declaration adopted at the summit condemned “military strikes on the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran” and expressed opposition to “unilateral coercive measures” that contravene UN and WTO rules.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian media that the two leaders largely discussed economic relations, with the Ukraine conflict addressed only “in passing.” The meeting was held in a “traditionally very constructive and friendly atmosphere,” Peskov said, adding that “both Xi and Putin trust each other and use this mutual trust to touch on the most complex issues.”

Power of Siberia 2: An Unresolved Question

One of the most closely watched topics was the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline project, a 2,600-kilometer pipeline designed to deliver 50 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from Russia’s Yamal fields to China via Mongolia. According to Kommersant, the project has been under discussion since 2006 but remains unagreed due to persistent disagreements over pricing and contract terms.

Sergey Pikin, director of the Energy Development Fund, told Rosbalt that the memorandum of intent remains valid at the political level, but the question is in the price. “The Chinese want to get better conditions — financial (a more favorable price than under Power of Siberia 1) and legal,” Pikin explained. “They are seeking approval of guaranteed and non-guaranteed volumes to protect themselves from fines if consumption volumes in China decline due to the fact that the PRC is moving towards a carbon-free economy.”

No final agreement on the pipeline was announced following the meeting, though Putin and Xi are expected to continue discussions at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok and the BRICS summit later this year.

Analysis: China’s Growing Leverage

The Bishkek meeting highlighted the evolving dynamics of the China-Russia relationship. As The New York Times (Chinese edition) noted, Western sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have made Russia’s economy increasingly dependent on Chinese economic support, giving Beijing significant leverage. The publication observed that “no country is more critical than China in sustaining Russia’s and Iran’s economies and war efforts.”

Putin also expressed Russia’s willingness to strengthen coordination with China within the UN, BRICS, G20, and other multilateral mechanisms, and supported China hosting the APEC Leaders’ Informal Meeting. The two leaders additionally exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.

What to Watch Next

The SCO summit concluded with Kyrgyzstan handing the rotating chairmanship to Pakistan, which will host the 2027 summit in Islamabad. Looking ahead, several key questions remain: whether China and Russia can reach a final agreement on Power of Siberia 2, how the upcoming Xi-Trump meeting in Washington will affect China-Russia relations, and whether the SCO’s continued expansion will enhance or dilute its effectiveness as a multilateral platform.

As Novaya Gazeta Europe observed, the SCO remains more of a “platform for dialogue” than a true alliance, with member states often pursuing practical agreements bilaterally rather than through the organization’s framework. Yet for both Xi and Putin, the summit served as a demonstration of their continued alignment on the world stage — a signal that their strategic partnership remains a central pillar of their respective foreign policies.