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Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a welcoming ceremony prior to their summit at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 20. The two leaders emphasized the necessity of establishing a multi-polar order during their meeting. / Xinhua

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Putin voiced a shared call for a global multi-polar order to overcome the US-led unipolar system during their bilateral summit at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the morning of May 20. The stance was officially incorporated into a joint declaration adopted after the meeting. The development leaves the United States in a highly challenging position as it faces intensifying coordinated pressure from the two superpowers.

The leaders' remarks during the summit underscored this strategic shift. President Xi took the lead, addressing critical regional conflicts. According to a May 20 report by China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency, Xi warned that the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region stands at a critical crossroads between war and peace, stressing that an immediate halt to US-instigated conflicts in the Middle East is an urgent priority. While avoiding direct mention of the United States, Xi effectively held Washington accountable for the regional instability, speaking from China's position as a major global power.

In the same vein, Xi referenced the "Four Principles for Peace and Stability in the Middle East" he proposed last month, stating that the initiative aims to further build international consensus, de-escalate tensions, and contribute to ending the war and promoting peace. This reflects a clear intent by Beijing and Moscow to counter the unilateral actions of the United States and President Donald Trump, which have increasingly drawn concern even from Washington's traditional allies in the European Union.

President Putin, who has met with President Xi over 40 times, closely aligned with Xi's rhetoric. Emphasizing that the close strategic relationship between Russia and China serves as a crucial stabilizing force worldwide, Putin stressed that absolute cooperation between the two nations is indispensable for establishing a multi-polar order designed to counterbalance US dominance.

Putin was even more explicit regarding global governance, stating that a complex process of forming a multi-polar world based on a balance of interests among all participants is currently underway. He added that Russia and China are actively working to build a more democratic world order, asserting that Moscow is striving alongside its Chinese partners to establish a fair and democratic international framework.

Beyond global politics and the multi-polar declaration, the two leaders agreed to deepen strategic cooperation across almost all sectors, including the economy, security, and efforts to resolve global issues such as the war in Ukraine. In particular, Putin highlighted energy cooperation, emphasizing that Russia remains a highly reliable energy supplier to China. He noted that despite adverse external factors, bilateral cooperation and economic relations remain positive, adding that close coordination is especially vital amid ongoing international tensions.

Following this summit, Xi and Putin are highly likely to meet several more times later this year. According to diplomatic sources in Beijing, the two leaders are expected to hold face-to-face discussions at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on August 31; the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, on September 12; and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, on November 18. They are widely anticipated to use these upcoming platforms to consistently advocate for a multi-polar world order to counter US influence, keeping Washington under sustained strategic pressure.