Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have kicked off bilateral talks in Beijing, on the eve of a massive military parade in the Chinese capital.
Putin hailed relations between both countries saying they were on an “unprecedented level”, adding that their “close communication reflects the strategic nature of Russian-Chinese ties.”
“Dear friend, both I and the entire Russian delegation are pleased to meet once again with our Chinese friends and colleagues,” Putin told Xi, according to a video published on the Kremlin’s official Telegram messaging app.
“Our close communication reflects the strategic nature of Russia-China relations, which are at an unprecedentedly high level.”
“We were always together then, and we remain together now,” Putin added.
Xi told Putin that “China-Russia relations have withstood the test of international changes” – adding that Beijing was willing to work with Moscow to “promote the construction of a more just and reasonable global governance system”.
Xi is set to host China’s largest-ever military parade on Wednesday, which will mark the 80th anniversary of the surrender of the Japanese in China at the end of World War Two.
It comes at a time when Xi seeks to project Beijing’s power on the international stage – not just as the world’s second-largest economy, but also as a diplomatic heavyweight.
He has emphasised China’s role as a stable trading partner while US president Donald Trump’s tariffs have upended economic relationships.
Xi is now hosting Putin in Beijing while a deal with the Russian leader to end the war in Ukraine continues to elude Trump.
Xi and Putin criticised Western governments during the summit on Monday, with Xi slamming “bullying behaviour” from certain countries – a veiled reference to the US – while Putin defended Russia’s Ukraine offensive and blamed the West for triggering the conflict.
The two leaders met in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.
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