RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin confirmed that bilateral trade between Russia and China has reached approximately $250 billion, positioning Russia as China’s leading European partner at the country level, during his annual press conference and Direct Line event at Gostiny Dvor.
Speaking to questions from Liu Kai of China’s Xinhua News Agency, a TV BRICS partner outlet, Putin emphasised the comprehensive nature of the bilateral relationship, which spans high-tech manufacturing, science, education, and space exploration sectors.
“At the country level of cooperation between Russia and China, Russia ranks first among European countries,” Putin stated. He characterised the trade volume as “an indicator of the trust between our countries and the level of that trust,” expressing confidence that relations would continue developing in this direction.
The Russian leader described Chinese President Xi Jinping as “a reliable friend and a stable partner,” calling this relationship “the most important foundation for the development of Russian-Chinese relations.”
The comments came as both nations prepare to mark significant diplomatic milestones: the 30th anniversary of partnership and strategic interaction in 2025, and 25 years since signing the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation.
Domestic Economic Indicators
Putin also presented Russia’s economic performance metrics during the session. While annual GDP growth registered at 1 percent, the president noted that three-year cumulative growth totalled 9.7 percent. The manufacturing sector expanded 3.1 percent, with agricultural production growing 3.3 percent.
Russia’s unemployment rate has fallen to a record low of 2.2 percent, according to Putin. He projected that year-end inflation would settle below forecasts at 5.7-5.8 percent.
The four-and-a-half-hour event addressed over 3 million citizen appeals, with journalists present from multiple BRICS media partners, including Brazil’s Brasil de Fato and Iran’s IRNA, alongside Xinhua.
Seyed Ahmad Najafi of IRNA noted the event’s significance for transparency and mutual understanding between nations, describing it as providing “a picture of Russia at the end of the year” and prospects for the coming period.
