00:00On the ground, Russia's industrial landscape is increasingly shaped by China.
00:06Take Moscow's revived Moskvich brand, once a symbol of Soviet-era car manufacturing.
00:12It's Russian on the surface, but much of what's inside is Chinese.
00:17The model has re-emerged with Chinese backing,
00:20part of a broader trend in which Beijing is steadily filling the vacuum left by Western carmakers
00:26who exited Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
00:32Chinese companies are not only exporting vehicles and parts to Russia,
00:36they are also producing cars there, often inside factories
00:40formerly owned by the likes of Mercedes, Volkswagen and Nissan.
00:44One by one, the Western industrial footprint is being replaced.
00:49Last year, Russia exported goods worth nearly $125 billion to China.
00:55The vast majority of it, raw materials.
00:58China, in turn, shipped around $103 billion worth of goods to Russia,
01:03including machinery, electronics and computer equipment, according to Chinese customs data.
01:09But after years of steady growth, bilateral trade has now slipped for the first time in 2025,
01:15down 6.9 percent.
01:18The main reason? Falling commodity prices which have hit Russia's export revenues.
01:25Even so, oil and gas remain the backbone of the Russian economy.
01:29China is already the world's largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels,
01:33and Moscow is now looking to expand those flows even further.
01:40Plans are underway for the proposed Power of Siberia 2 pipeline,
01:45which will transport gas from Russia's Yamao Peninsula in the Arctic to China via Mongolia.
01:52For President Putin, pushing the project forward is a priority.
01:56Since Europe pivoted away from Russian energy exports,
02:00China has become a major buyer of its fossil fuels.
02:03But Beijing so far remains noncommittal about the pipeline project.
02:10Beijing, on the day of the visit.
02:12For Putin, a great deal is at stake during his trip.
02:16China holds the stronger hand in the relationship.
02:18It can buy energy elsewhere,
02:20while Russia is becoming ever more dependent on China
02:23to sustain its resource-driven economy.
02:26China has become a major part of the country.
02:27China has become a major part of the country.
02:29China has become a major part of the country.
02:31China has become a major part of the country.
02:31China has become a major part of the country.
02:32China has become a major part of the country.
02:32China has become a major part of the country.
02:32China has become a major part of the country.
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