China-Russia Dashboard: Facts and figures on a special relationship (Copy)

China-Russia bilateral trade has grown steadily over the last decade and has intensified since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Following a sharp surge in 2022 and 2023, China–Russia trade stabilized in 2024 at USD 245 billion, more than double that of 2020. In 2025, bilateral trade fell 6.9 percent year-on-year, despite record monthly levels in December.

The trade balance has been relatively even in value, with only a slight Russian surplus. However, it is structurally imbalanced in the types of goods traded. Russia’s exports to China consist mainly of fossil fuels and other natural resources, while China’s exports are manufactured goods such as cars, tractors, electronics, and other consumer products. The value of Russian exports is thus sensitive to volatile energy markets, and part of the initial post-invasion value increase was due to higher energy prices.

Note: Nominal values

Last updated: April 28, 2026

China’s imports from Russia mainly consist of natural resources. Since February 2022, on average, more than 70 percent of the total trade value has been composed of mineral fuels (primarily crude oil). Other mineral products accounted for a further five percent, base metals seven percent, animal and vegetable products and foodstuffs six percent, and wood and paper four percent. Due to falling global oil prices and higher sanction-driven discounts on Russian oil, the value of mineral fuel exports declined in 2025, while the shares of other categories grew correspondingly.

China’s exports to Russia are more diversified and consist primarily of manufactured goods. Since February 2022, on average, machinery and mechanical appliances made up around 24 percent of the total trade value. Vehicles (mainly passenger cars) accounted for 16 percent, electrical machinery and equipment 15 percent, and textiles, footwear, and headgear  approximately 11 percent.

Last updated: February 11, 2026

Russia’s energy exports to China form the backbone of their bilateral trade, steadily increasing in both value and volume. After 2022, China’s market acted as a safety net, allowing Russia to redirect fossil fuel exports from the West. However, the volatile nature of the exchange – especially in the case of oil, declining since 2024 and then shooting up in 2026 – shows how highly dependent this trade is on global energy prices.

Last updated: April 21, 2026

Since 2003, Russia and China have conducted 97 joint military exercises across various domains and formats. These include ground, naval, aerial, para-military and multi-domain exercises, as well as army competitions and computer simulations. The number of exercises per year has increased in recent years, reaching an all-time high of 11 in 2024, but decreasing in 2025.

Since 2022, most joint exercises – 20 of 34 – have consisted of naval drills and patrols, accounting for all recent growth in joint exercise activity. Between 2009 and 2022, Russia and China conducted only a few such exercises annually. However, in 2024 alone, 7 of 11 exercises were naval, and in 2025, 4 of 7 have been naval drills and patrols. 

It remains unclear whether China participated in the early-2026 trilateral naval exercise with Russia and Iran amid the significant US military buildup in the region prior to the Iran war in February.

Last updated: April 20, 2026
 

Joint Russia-China military exercises have grown significantly in number, size, complexity, and geographic scope since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Since the first one in 2003, they have conducted 97 joint exercises  – 32 since Russia started the war on February 24, 2022. 

In 2024, they held 11 joint exercises across ground, naval and aerial domains, including their first naval patrol in the Arctic Ocean, first coast guard patrol, and their first aerial patrol that entered the US air defense identification zone. In September, China participated in Ocean-2024, Russia’s largest naval exercise since the collapse of the Soviet Union. 

In 2025, the number of joint drills was lower – seven in total – but these broke some new territory.  Russia and China held their first joint submarine patrol in August. In multilateral formats, they conducted a border defense drill with Mongolia in September, and held the first-ever multilateral Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) exercise in Iran in December. Joint exercises are now becoming more routine, with some taking place annually.

It remains unclear whether China participated in the early-2026 trilateral naval exercise with Russia and Iran amid the significant US military buildup in the region prior to the Iran war in February.

Last updated: April 20, 2026

Shipments of dual-use items from China to Russia surged in late 2021, likely driven by stockpiling and year-end production peaks. Exports then fell sharply after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine amid concerns about sanctions, yet quickly recovered, remaining historically high throughout 2022 and 2023. A renewed decline occurred following the US Treasury’s announcement in December 2023 of potential secondary sanctions on entities assisting Russia’s military-industrial base. However, Chinese exports rebounded in the second half of 2024, suggesting adjustments to circumvent these restrictions. As a result, dual-use shipments from China to Russia once again exceeded USD 4 billion in 2024. At the beginning of 2025, they declined again — mirroring the overall trend in China-Russia trade — but rebounded in the following months, and over the full year rose back above USD 4 billion.

Note: The data refers to dual-use goods included in the Common High Priority List, developed jointly by the United States, the European Union, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The list categorizes 50 items, each identified by a six-digit Harmonized System (HS) code, into four tiers. The full list is available on the website of the US Bureau of Industry and Security. The values represent a 3-month moving average and have been adjusted to reflect the HS 2022 Nomenclature amendments.

Last updated: April 20, 2026

The Iran-related views from key Chinese and Russian figures suggest they are aligned on Israel’s attack on Iran and how to address the Iranian nuclear issue. Their statements highlight a shared worldview and hint at the outlines of a Chinese-Russian “strategic coordination” in the case of a major geopolitical crisis such as the military conflict between Israel and Iran. Both sides condemned Israel and indirectly called out the United States. Their language also reveals the contradictions and ambiguities in how international law and sovereignty are interpreted in global politics. While China condemned Israel’s strike on Iran, it has remained silent on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – mirroring the West’s silence on Iran and its support for Ukraine. By positioning themselves on the moral high ground in contrast to perceived Western double standards, China and Russia are advancing an anti-hegemonic narrative against unilateralism and justifying the disruption to the international order. In doing so, they credit themselves as the stabilizers of the international order.

Sources: 

Quotes from Chinese representatives: Xinhua, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Xinhua 
Quotes from Russian representatives: Reuters, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Xi-Putin phone call: Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Al Jazeera

Key figures in China-Russia bilateral relations indicate a closer alignment across various domains, highlighting stronger strategic coordination in political narratives and military cooperation. Both Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin have set the tone for these relations, not only based on their respective geopolitical positions but also by promoting a shared worldview and ambition to build an alternative global order – one in which China and Russia play a greater role as stabilizing powers. This ambition is further articulated by their chief diplomats, Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov, who emphasize the goal of establishing a multipolar world order and the democratization of international relations. Military leaders from both sides have also called for deeper cooperation, aiming to enhance stability not only between China and Russia but also within the broader global system.

Sources:

Quotes from Chinese representatives: PRC MFA, PRC MFA, Guancha
Quotes from Russian representatives: Kremlin, RUS MFA, PRC Ministry of National Defense

Last updated: February 1, 2026

This timeline tracks China-Russia bilateral engagements in three key domains – heads of state, diplomatic, and military – since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine starting on February 24, 2022. The frequency of these interactions surpasses that of any other bilateral relationship for both China and Russia. Between February 2022 and May 2026, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin interacted 20 times through in-person meetings or phone calls. Diplomatic meetings happened 64 times, including bilateral discussions and within multilateral settings. Military leaders from both sides – such as Sergei Shoigu, Andrey Belousov, Dong Jun, Li Shangfu, and Wei Fenghe – held 14 engagements during this period. Other than the frequency of engagements, the trend in key messaging shows growing alignment on strategic coordination in multilateral platforms and a stronger tone in opposing unilateral actions such as sanctions and military interventions by the United States. 

For more details and key outcomes of these meetings, click here.

Last updated: May 5, 2026

The operation of border checkpoints serves as a barometer of China-Russia bilateral relations. Traditionally, the Chinese side has been more proactive in promoting trade through these checkpoints, while the Russian side has shown more caution, primarily due to concerns over China’s growing role in the development of the Russian Far East. As a result, infrastructure improvements on the Russian side have progressed slowly. However, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the end of China’s COVID lockdowns, these checkpoints have become significantly busier, with trade volumes reaching record highs. There has also been notable progress in expanding capacity to facilitate bilateral trade – for instance, the construction of bridges across the Amur River and the expansion of checkpoint facilities. The increasing activity at these checkpoints reflects a broader trend of China-Russia alignment and highlights Russia’s growing dependency on China, suggesting Moscow is now prioritizing its relationship with Beijing, while becoming less concerned about China’s influence in the development of the Russian Far East.

The number of Chinese exchange students in Russia has grown steadily over the years, increasing from approximately 30,000 in 2020 to over 50,000 in 2024, a 72% increase. Similarly, Chinese students have accounted for a growing share of all foreign exchange students in Russia, rising from 9.4% in 2020 to 13.6% in 2024. As a result, China has surpassed other countries and is now the third-largest country of origin – its student numbers nearly matching those of the top two, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. While Chinese students at the bachelor’s level make up the largest group in absolute numbers, China is by far the leading country of origin for master’s students. In 2024, its 16,411 master’s students represented approximately 36% of all master’s students in Russia.

The number of tourist visits between Russia and China grew steadily for years, peaking in 2019 with nearly 2.3 million Russian visits to China and over 1.9 million Chinese visits to Russia. However, tourism between the two countries collapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic and further declined following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with visits dwindling to just a few thousand in 2021 and 2022.

In 2023, tourism rebounded significantly in both directions, though it remained far below pre-pandemic levels – less than a third of the peak recorded in 2019. As a share of total tourist visits to Russia, Chinese tourist visits peaked at 7.7% in 2019, plummeted to 0.3% in 2021 and 2022, and recovered to 5.8% in 2023.