China, Russia to further extend landmark friendship treaty

China and Russia agreed to further extend the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation as President Xi Jinping met with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday.

Xi said that 25 years ago, China and Russia signed the treaty, establishing in legal form the institutional foundation for long-term good-neighborliness, friendship and comprehensive strategic coordination. Since then, China-Russia relations have achieved leapfrog development, he said.

He noted that the international landscape has undergone profound changes, and the world faces the risk of sliding back into the law of the jungle. Against this backdrop, the advanced nature, scientific value and practical significance of the treaty have become even more prominent, Xi said.

He said that China supports the further extension of the treaty and is ready to work with Russia to uphold its spirit and firmly advance the two countries' back-to-back strategic coordination.

The treaty was last extended on June 28, 2021, when Xi and Putin held talks via video link and issued a joint statement ahead of the 20th anniversary of its signing.