Chinese President Xi Jinping greeted Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as an “old friend” on Tuesday, marking the beginning of a series of discussions at a time when both countries face overlapping and unique challenges from the United States.
The relationship between China and Russia has grown stronger in recent years, especially following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
Putin referred to Xi as his “dear friend” and stated that the relationship between Moscow and Beijing has reached an “unprecedentedly high level.” After their formal discussions, the two leaders planned to meet again over tea, accompanied by top aides, reports AP/UNB.
Their talks followed a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held in the city of Tianjin, and came one day before a large-scale military parade in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
During the war, the Soviet Union was neutral for much of the conflict in Asia but provided assistance to China during earlier clashes with Japanese forces in the 1930s. It later declared war on Japan in the final stages of World War II, deploying troops into Japanese-occupied northeastern China.
“We were always together then, we remain together now,” Putin remarked.
China maintains a neutral stance in the Ukraine war but has supported Russia economically by continuing trade despite Western sanctions. Some Chinese companies have faced allegations of supporting Russia’s military efforts.
At the SCO summit, Xi and Putin were joined by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who engaged in separate talks with both leaders on the sidelines. US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on India and his administration’s rhetoric have led New Delhi to strengthen ties with both China and Russia, although Modi will not attend China’s military parade.
Ahead of their bilateral discussions, Putin and Xi met with Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa. Mongolia, nestled between China and Russia, is a mineral-rich, landlocked nation.
In his opening comments, Putin described the three nations as good neighbours with shared interests in expanding their cooperation. “Our three countries have much in common,” he said.
In 2024, during a visit to Mongolia, Putin’s presence was not challenged despite an International Criminal Court warrant for his arrest related to alleged war crimes connected to the invasion of Ukraine.
