President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "dear friend" during the talks held via video conference.
"Dear Mr. President Putin, my dear old friend. I am very happy to meet you at the beginning of the new year," he said.
The talks are taking place on the eve of the Chinese New Year, which in 2026 begins on February 17. This is not the first contact between the leaders held at the end of the year according to the eastern calendar.
In January 2025, Putin and Xi Jinping also held talks in a video conference format. at that time, they summarized the results of 2024 and outlined new plans for the development of relations between the countries.
