Xi Jinping congratulates Putin on New Year, vows to further strengthen partnership

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has sent New Year greetings to Russian ruler Vladimir Putin ahead of 2026, saying he aims to achieve "new successes" in relations with Moscow and mentioning a "strong signal" that the two countries sent to the world over the past year.

Source: Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency TASS, citing China Central Television

Details: Xi said that he is ready, together with Putin, to "make joint efforts to achieve new successes in the continuous development of China-Russia relations in the new era".

He noted that 2025 had seen "confident steps" in the development of a comprehensive strategic partnership and coordination between the two regimes.

Background:

• China officially declared a "neutral" position on Russia's war against Ukraine, which Beijing describes as the "Ukrainian crisis". China has not condemned Russia's full-scale invasion and has not supported Western sanctions against Moscow.
• Meanwhile, Beijing has been deepening its economic and diplomatic cooperation with Russia. Western intelligence agencies and media outlets have reported many times that China supplies Russia with dual-use goods, electronics, machinery and components used in weapons production, including drones and missiles that Russia uses to attack Ukraine.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders have repeatedly called on China to use its influence over Putin to help end the war.

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