Putin Praises ‘Unprecedented’ Ties with Xi as Russia, China Tighten Alliance
Russian President Vladimir Putin has hailed relations with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, as being at an “unprecedented level” during talks in Beijing, underscoring deepening cooperation between Moscow and Beijing amid mounting tensions with the West.
Putin, who described Xi as a “dear friend,” arrived on the eve of China’s largest-ever military parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. Chinese state media lauded the partnership as “exemplary,” while both leaders unveiled new initiatives to cement ties.
Russia announced it would expand gas exports to China, with planned projects expected to deliver up to 106 billion cubic meters annually once fully operational—though still far below pre-war levels supplied to the EU before Western sanctions.
Meanwhile, Beijing declared a one-year trial of visa-free travel for Russian citizens starting September 15.
The summit also set the stage for the arrival of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who crossed into China by special train on Tuesday.
His participation in Wednesday’s parade will mark his first multilateral international appearance and the first time a North Korean leader has attended a Chinese military parade since 1959, when his grandfather Kim Il-Sung was present.
During Monday’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, Xi and Putin struck a united front against the West.
Xi urged member states to reject “Cold War thinking, bloc confrontation and bullying behaviour,” while Putin defended Russia’s war in Ukraine and accused Western powers of provoking the conflict.
Putin argued the SCO was laying the groundwork for a “new system” to replace what he called “outdated Eurocentric and Euro-Atlantic models.”
The gathering drew leaders from India, Iran, and Pakistan, but most Western heads of state will shun Wednesday’s parade in protest of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Beijing has refused to criticise Moscow’s actions, despite U.S. accusations that it is quietly aiding Russia’s war effort through the supply of dual-use materials and heavy purchases of Russian oil—claims China denies.
North Korea, however, has openly thrown its weight behind Moscow. Kim Jong Un’s government has reportedly supplied both weapons and troops to support Russia’s invasion, making his high-profile visit to Beijing a symbolic display of solidarity among three of Washington’s fiercest adversaries.
