Putin failed to reach an agreement with Xi on the major project Russia wanted and canceled his end-of-visit conference in China
Russian President Vladimir Putin ended a summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping without reaching a deal on a pipeline that would allow Russia to more than double the amount of natural gas it sells to China, according to Reuters.
Without tangible results in Beijing, the Russian leader canceled the press conference he usually holds after his visits abroad, EFE wrote, quoted by Agerpres.
During Putin's visit in September 2025, Gazprom announced that the parties had agreed to advance the Power of Siberia 2 project, which involves the construction of a 2,600-kilometer gas pipeline that would transport 50 billion cubic meters of gas per year from Russia to China, via Mongolia.
Xi Jinping did not mention the pipeline
On Wednesday, President Xi emphasized the importance of energy cooperation and resource connectivity in the China-Russia relationship, but did not mention the pipeline.
Sources cited by the Financial Times had expressed doubt that Beijing and Moscow would be able to reach an agreement, as the Chinese side still wants to buy gas at a price comparable to that on the Russian domestic market.
The Kremlin says the parties have reached a “general understanding on the parameters” of the project, but details or a clear timetable have yet to be agreed. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Russia and China were finalizing contracts for pipeline deliveries.
“The main disagreements over pricing, funding and contractual terms do not appear to have been resolved,” said Daniel Sleat of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has insisted that Moscow is willing to guarantee a “secure and uninterrupted supply” of hydrocarbons and coal, given the current context, where some of China's liquefied gas imports are affected by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
During Putin's visit, his 25th to Beijing, the Russian president and his Chinese counterpart signed a joint statement calling for dialogue on Iran and condemning US and Israeli attacks, and presided over the signing of 20 other agreements.
They also criticized the US's “irresponsible” nuclear policy
In the joint statement of Putin and Xi, who also hosted Donald Trump in Beijing a week ago, the Russian and Chinese presidents condemned the American counterpart's plans for the Iron Dome anti-missile shield and Washington's “irresponsible” nuclear policy.
Putin and Xi say Trump's plan for a ground-based and space-based missile interception system threatens global strategic stability. In the same statement, the two also criticize Washington for allowing the expiration of a treaty restricting the nuclear arsenals of the US and Russia.
The treaty expired in February, and Trump has not responded to Russia's proposal to extend limits on missiles and nuclear warheads for another year. Some US politicians argue that such a move would have prevented the US from responding to China's nuclear weapons build-up.
