Xi, Putin have tea chat in Moscow

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a tea chat at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday afternoon.

Pointing out that the world has entered a new period of turbulence and change, Xi said that as long as China and Russia maintain strategic resolve and uphold strategic cooperation, no force can stop the two countries from realizing their respective development and rejuvenation, stop their people's aspiration for ever-lasting China-Russia friendship, or stop the trend of the times of multi-polarization and economic globalization.

The Chinese president said he is willing to maintain close contact with Putin to steer the direction of China-Russia relations, and make positive contributions to promoting global governance.

Putin said that the two countries have always tided over difficulties together and supported each other, forging an unbreakable friendship.

Putin expressed his willingness to maintain close strategic communication with Xi, provide strategic guidance for the development of bilateral relations, jointly address the challenges of the complex international situation, deepen comprehensive strategic coordination, safeguard the common interests of the two countries, and promote the development of the world towards justice, democracy and multi-polarization.

The two heads of state exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis and other issues.

Xi pointed out that with regard to the Ukraine crisis, China advocates and upholds a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable vision on global security, and believes that the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously to eliminate the root cause of the crisis.

China welcomes all efforts for peace, and looks forward to the achievement of a fair and durable peace deal that is binding and accepted by all the parties concerned through dialogue, Xi added.

Putin highly appreciated China's objective and impartial position on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, saying that the Russian side is ready to open peace talks without preconditions in the hope of reaching a just and lasting peace agreement.

Xi, Putin have tea chat in Moscow

Xi, Putin have tea chat in Moscow

Xi, Putin have tea chat in Moscow

Xi, Putin have tea chat in Moscow

From cutting-edge technology exhibitions to retail stores thousands of kilometers away from Europe and Southeast Asia, China-made robot vacuum cleaners are increasingly becoming a popular choice among consumers worldwide.

At electronics retailers in Berlin, Germany, Chinese brands such as Roborock and Dreame occupy prominent positions in dedicated robot vacuum sections, offering a wide range of products priced between 200 and 2,000 euros.

Many local consumers said that when purchasing smart home appliances including robot vacuum cleaners, they tend to give priority to Chinese-made products.

"It's a good price and good quality. It's also the innovation. I have a feeling that the European brands are not innovating enough," said one customer.

"I think they're always on top of the other technologies. They are getting them out faster. A lot of us are switching to the Chinese technology," another consumer said.

Germany is one of the most important overseas markets for China's floor-cleaning robots.

According to data from market research firm GfK, from January to November 2025, more than six out of 10 robot vacuum cleaners sold in Western Europe were Chinese brands.

Industry data also point to a strong global momentum.

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), global shipments of smart robot vacuum cleaners reached 17.424 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent.

Chinese brands including Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, Xiaomi and Narwal ranked among the world's top five in terms of shipment volume, with a combined share of nearly 70 percent of the global market.

At a robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing plant in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, workers were seen stepping up production of newly launched models that recently debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in the United States, which concluded Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The factory adjusted its production lines as early as December 2025 and stocked inventory in advance for overseas markets to ensure that new products could be delivered to global consumers at the earliest possible time.

"In 2025, Roborock's global shipments exceeded 7.2 million units. Since 2024, overseas revenue has accounted for more than 50 percent of our total revenue. Our products have now been sold to more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than 20 million households worldwide," said Quan Gang, president of Roborock.

At another robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing facility in Dongguan, Guangdong, rising overseas orders have prompted the company to upgrade its production lines with intelligent technologies to further boost capacity. The factory is currently operating at full load to meet a growing demand.

"For 2026, we have already obtained overseas orders worth at least 300 million to 400 million yuan (around 43 million to 57.3 million U.S. dollars). In addition, we've engaged in strategic cooperation with European home appliance group Cebos Group, and our total confirmed orders have exceeded 600 million yuan (around 86 million U.S. dollars)," said Zhang Junbin, founder and CEO of Narwal Robotics.

Chinese robot vacuum brands gain strong global traction