The 2 leaders’ gathering comes the time earlier a subject parade marking Japan’s surrender successful World War II.
Published On 2 Sep 2025
Chinese President Xi Jinping has welcomed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin arsenic an “old friend” portion the second said their countries’ ties were astatine an “unprecedented level”, arsenic the 2 began a bid of meetings successful Beijing seen arsenic sending a connection of defiance and spot to Western powers.
The 2 allies person crisp differences with the United States amid disputes implicit the Ukraine warfare and President Donald Trump’s ramping up of tariffs.
Putin addressed Xi arsenic a “dear friend” connected Tuesday and lauded Moscow’s deepening ties with Beijing. Following their ceremonial talks successful Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, they planned to person different gathering implicit beverage with immoderate of their apical aides.
The talks travel a time aft some attended a acme of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) successful the adjacent Chinese metropolis of Tianjin. Moscow and Beijing person promoted the SCO arsenic a counterweight to Western-led alliances, with Putin arguing the satellite needs a “system that would regenerate outdated Eurocentric and Euro-Atlantic models”.
Before the extremity of his sojourn successful Beijing, Putin is expected “to motion 20 deals expanding practice betwixt Beijing and Moscow”, said Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu, reporting from Beijing. Putin and Xi “seem to person a precise warm, genuine rapport… It does look that their relationship hasn’t been impacted astatine each by disapproval from the US oregon Western European leaders,” said Yu.
Relations betwixt China and Russia person strengthened successful caller years, peculiarly aft the Russian penetration of Ukraine successful aboriginal 2022.
China says it is neutral successful the Ukraine war, but has provided an economical lifeline to Russia by continuing commercialized contempt Western sanctions. Some of its companies person been accused of abetting the subject industry.
The 2 leaders’ talks besides travel the time earlier a immense Chinese subject parade successful Beijing to people the 80th day of Japan’s decision and the extremity of World War II.
It volition beryllium attended by astir 2 twelve satellite leaders, including North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, who authorities media successful Pyongyang accidental has crossed the borderline into China earlier his planned attendance astatine the subject parade, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The erstwhile Soviet Union was neutral for overmuch of the warfare successful Asia, but provided assistance to China successful earlier warring against invading Japanese forces successful the 1930s. It besides declared warfare connected Japan successful the past days of World War II and sent troops implicit the borderline into Japanese-occupied northeastern China.
With this subject parade, China hopes to amusement spot and unity, and nonstop a connection to the West, said Yu. Many of the leaders attending this parade “have been styled by the US, by the Trump medication arsenic outcasts, arsenic weak, arsenic pariahs”, truthful the constituent China hopes to marque by rolling retired the reddish carpet for them is to amusement “they’re not isolated, that they bash person friends and they bash person power,” added Yu.
The SCO meeting has showcased a Global South solidarity and propulsion for a caller planetary order. “Global governance has reached a caller crossroads,” Chinese President Xi Jinping told the acme connected Monday, successful remarks that were wide seen arsenic a critique of the US.
Putin and Xi besides held a trilateral gathering with Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa earlier their talks connected Tuesday. His landlocked state of grasslands and mineral mines is sandwiched betwixt the 2 giants.
Putin said successful opening remarks that the 3 countries are bully neighbours, with a shared involvement successful processing ties. “Our 3 countries person overmuch successful common,” helium said.
Xi successful crook said: “The much chaotic the planetary concern becomes, the much China, Russia and Mongolia should fortify solidarity and cooperation, and summation communal support.”
In 2024, Putin made an authoritative sojourn to Mongolia, wherever the authorities ignored calls to apprehension him connected an International Criminal Court warrant. Mongolia is simply a subordinate of the ICC, which issued an apprehension warrant for Putin past twelvemonth implicit alleged warfare crimes successful Ukraine, including the deportation of children to Russia.
Source:
Al Jazeera and quality agencies