Chinese Vice Premier Meets Putin, Co-Chairs Bilateral Talks in Vladivostok

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and co-chaired a series of high-level China-Russia bilateral mechanism meetings during a three-day visit to Vladivostok from September 2-4, according to Xinhua News. The visit, which coincided with the 11th Eastern Economic Forum, underscored the continued deepening of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination at a moment marked by milestone anniversaries in bilateral relations.

Milestone Year for China-Russia Relations

2026 marks both the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination and the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, as noted by HK01. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said ahead of the visit that China was willing to take the opportunity to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and promote the high-level development of the partnership.

Putin highlighted the significance of the anniversary year during his meeting with Ding, stating that through the joint efforts of both countries, Russia-China relations have reached an unprecedented level with positive progress across various fields, as reported by TASS via Seetao.com. The Russian president noted that the treaty signed on July 16, 2001, laid the foundation for bilateral relations.

Meeting with Putin

Ding met with Putin on the evening of September 2 in Vladivostok, where he conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s cordial greetings. According to Lianhe Zaobao, Ding emphasized that under the strategic guidance of President Xi and President Putin, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era continues to deepen and solidify.

Ding stressed that the reason China-Russia relations can remain unshakable in the turbulent international situation lies in the helm-steering of the two heads of state. He called for strengthening the strategic alignment between China’s Northeast revitalization and Russia’s Far East development, noting that the “Northeast-Far East” cooperation mechanism holds broad prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation.

Putin welcomed Ding to the Eastern Economic Forum and expressed gratitude for China’s consistent dispatch of high-level delegations to participate in important discussion platforms, according to the Bastille Post Global. This was the second meeting between the two leaders, following their first encounter at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June 2025.

Investment and Energy Cooperation Committees

During his visit, Ding co-chaired the 13th meeting of the China-Russia Investment Cooperation Committee with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, and the 23rd meeting of the China-Russia Energy Cooperation Committee with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak. Meeting minutes were signed following both sessions.

Ding urged both sides to strengthen planning and policy guidance in investment cooperation, facilitate the implementation of key projects, and expand the breadth and depth of cooperation. On energy, he called for consolidating existing achievements while actively exploring new areas and directions, and jointly promoting reform of the global energy governance system, as Xinhua reported.

The Russian side spoke highly of the level of bilateral ties and expressed readiness to strengthen strategic alignment and project collaboration to deliver benefits to both peoples.

Energy Business Forum and EEF Plenary

Ding attended the opening ceremony of the 8th China-Russia Energy Business Forum on September 4, where he read out President Xi Jinping’s congratulatory letter and delivered a speech. According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ding described energy cooperation as a cornerstone of China-Russia practical cooperation, noting that it has evolved from single crude oil trade to full industrial chain collaboration over three decades.

Ding outlined three key observations on energy cooperation: that leadership by heads of state is the greatest advantage, mutual benefit and win-win is the fundamental driving force, and jointly addressing challenges is a distinctive feature. Approximately 400 Chinese and Russian government officials and oil and gas enterprise representatives attended the forum.

At the EEF plenary session on September 3, Ding delivered a speech titled “Deepening China-Russia Regional Cooperation, Enhancing the Well-being of the Two Peoples,” as China Military Online reported. He proposed four points: promoting inclusive development benefiting the people, creating a favorable business environment, strengthening friendly exchanges and people-to-people bonds, and safeguarding regional peace and stability.

Trade Growth and Economic Significance

Bilateral trade between China and Russia has remained above $200 billion for three consecutive years, approaching $240 billion in 2025, according to Putin as cited by Seetao.com. The Russian president predicted that bilateral trade in 2026 would set a new historical record.

The 11th Eastern Economic Forum, held from September 1-4 under the theme “The Far East: Development for the Benefit of the People,” brought together more than 7,000 participants from 70 countries and regions. As reported by Bastille Post Global, 285 cooperation agreements worth 6.66 trillion rubles (approximately $7.7 billion) were signed during the event.

Strategic Implications

The visit comes against a backdrop of complex geopolitical dynamics, with Russia facing continued Western sanctions and pivoting its economic engagement toward Asia. The high-level exchanges between Beijing and Moscow—including the recent Xi-Putin meeting at the SCO Summit in Bishkek just days before Ding’s visit—signal sustained strategic coordination between the two nations.

The “Northeast-Far East” cooperation framework represents a concrete mechanism for translating political alignment into economic outcomes, with potential implications for regional infrastructure, energy security, and trade connectivity. As the two countries mark three decades of strategic partnership, the focus on practical cooperation in investment, energy, and regional development suggests a trajectory of deepening economic interdependence.

What to Watch

Observers will be watching whether bilateral trade indeed reaches new records in 2026 as Putin predicted, and how the China-Russia partnership evolves amid ongoing global tensions. The “China-Russia Education Year” during 2026-2027, aimed at deepening cultural and educational exchanges, will provide additional avenues for people-to-people engagement between the two countries.