Putin, Xi Exchange New Year Greetings

(MENAFN) Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged New Year’s messages, both commending the steady progress in relations between their nations.

Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Moscow and Beijing have strengthened cooperation, describing their relationship as a strategic partnership “without limits.” Bilateral trade nearly doubled between 2020 and 2024, surpassing $240 billion last year.

Putin extended his best wishes to Xi and the Chinese people, noting that the China-Russia partnership continued to advance throughout 2025.

Xi responded with greetings to Putin and the Russian people on Tuesday, emphasizing that ties had further improved. He pointed out that the two leaders met twice during the year in Beijing and Moscow, and highlighted their mutual support in multilateral organizations, including the UN.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin also exchanged New Year’s messages, according to Chinese state media.

In December, Putin signed a decree granting visa-free entry to Russia for Chinese citizens, allowing stays of up to 30 days.

This mirrored Beijing’s earlier decision to extend similar access to Russian nationals. China had introduced the measure in September on a one-year trial basis to encourage travel between the two countries.

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