On the afternoon of February 4th, the Chinese side held a video conference with Russian President Putin. This was the first high-level exchange between the leaders of China and Russia this year, and it was likely one of the key topics discussed during the recent visit of Shoigu to China and the meeting between Wang and others. So what did the video meeting between China and Russia discuss, and how should we interpret the signals it sent?
First, the key words in this meeting were "seizing historical opportunities and strengthening high-level exchanges." Both sides emphasized the important time node of 2026 in Sino-Russian relations: the 30th anniversary of the Sino-Russian Strategic Partnership of Coordination and the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation. Therefore, it is expected that there will be multiple meetings and interactions between the two sides in 2026, including formal visits to each other's countries. This video meeting may have set the overall plan and tone for the entire year at the beginning of the year.
Secondly, both sides expressed concerns about the turbulent international situation since the beginning of 2026. Although there was no explicit reference or naming, it is likely referring to the changes in Venezuela and Iran. China emphasized the need for deeper strategic cooperation and the maintenance of an international system centered on the United Nations and international law. This is not baseless; although it does not mean that China and Russia are preparing for a strategic confrontation with the United States, it at least cannot tolerate the continuation of the U.S. unilateral bullying policies, which would harm the global strategic interests of China and Russia.
Thirdly, both sides emphasized the need to strengthen strategic cooperation on multilateral platforms, focusing on three major platforms: the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the BRICS. The United Nations goes without saying; as permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and Russia must play a more active and proactive role. In 2026, Kyrgyzstan will be the chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and India will be the chair of the BRICS mechanism. Without any surprise, it is likely that China and Russia will attend these two summits at the highest level and achieve bilateral meetings.
Finally, Russia expressed firm support for China hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Shenzhen this year. China certainly welcomes this strong support from Russia, but this might also be a difficult issue. If Putin attends, it might cause dissatisfaction among some participants, such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or Japan. Therefore, whether or not Putin attends the summit is likely to be an important issue to discuss and handle.
Therefore, from this video meeting, it seems that China and Russia should have at least two opportunities for summit meetings in Kyrgyzstan and India this year. If Putin can go to Shenzhen to attend the APEC Summit at the end of the year, then China and Russia could meet at least three times. This frequency maintains the normal scale of previous years and plays an important role in deepening the strategic partnership between China and Russia and enhancing communication on important international issues.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1856195567301640/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.