Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly failed to secure a deal to construct the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline during his trip to China from May 19 to 20 – though he did manage to secure 41 deals of varying significance. The proposed pipeline, which could have netted Moscow 50 billion cubic meters of annual natural gas sales to China via Mongolia, has faced hurdles since its inception, in part due to Beijing’s cautious approach. Mongolia, whose territories the pipeline would transit through, also did not include it in its development plans back in 2024, projected until 2028.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. That said, beyond the symbolic diplomatic recognition by Beijing, Putin and his entourage – comprising top management and ministers – have secured 41 deals on trade, education, technology, nuclear security and beyond, plus a joint statement that criticized the US and Europe. What does the joint statement say? The joint statement can be seen as a consolidation of bilateral ties and an abstract of the deals signed by Beijing and Moscow during Putin’s visit. In it, the two sides included a number of pledges to deepen their partnership across defense, energy, trade, technology, infrastructure, media, and global governance. The document also shows where China stands on certain issues, such as sanctions and Iran. The two sides criticized Western sanctions, the US’s abduction of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, and what both countries describe as “hegemonic interference” in global affairs, while promoting a “multipolar world order.”