In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin met a total of five times, marking a foundational year that solidified their close strategic partnership. Most notably, Xi chose Russia for his first-ever overseas state visit after assuming the presidency. [1, 2]
The primary meetings between the two leaders in 2013 included:
- March 22–24 (Moscow State Visit): In his historic first foreign trip as president, Xi met Putin at the Kremlin. They signed a joint declaration to deepen their comprehensive partnership and discussed major energy, trade, and defense cooperation agreements. [1, 2, 3]
- September 5 (G20 Summit, St. Petersburg): The two leaders met ahead of the G20 summit to review progress on dozens of bilateral projects. They oversaw the signing of critical economic agreements, including the supply of Russian natural gas to China via the "eastern route" (the Power of Siberia pipeline). [1, 2, 3]
- October 7 (APEC Summit, Bali): Meeting on the sidelines of the APEC Indonesia Summit, the leaders celebrated Putin's 61st birthday. Xi personally gifted Putin a birthday cake, and they famously toasted with vodka and sausages in an informal display of their growing personal friendship. [1, 2]
They also crossed paths at other multilateral events that year, including the BRICS Summit in Durban, South Africa, in March, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in September. [1]
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