Xi and Putin sign 'multipolar world' declaration in Beijing days after Trump's visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit in Beijing on 20 May 2026, signing a joint declaration calling for a 'multipolar world and a new type of international relations' just days after Xi had hosted US President Donald Trump. The two leaders planned to sign approximately 40 agreements spanning the economy, tourism, and education; bilateral trade between China and Russia reached nearly US$240 billion in 2025 and grew by 20 percent in the first four months of 2026. In their joint statement, Xi and Putin also criticised Trump's proposed US$175 billion 'Golden Dome' missile defence system and the lapse of the last US-Russia arms control treaty in February 2026.