Putin and Xi strengthen ties: New investment agreements signed
Russian leader Vladimir Putin announced that, along with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, he will sign an updated investment agreement, Reuters reported. The two countries entered into a strategic partnership at the beginning of 2022, less than three weeks before Russia's war in Ukraine began.
Putin and Xi greeted each other in the morning in one of the grand halls of the Kremlin. The leaders shook hands in front of the cameras and then listened to the national anthems of China and Russia.
Putin called Xi his "dear friend" and thanked him for coming to Moscow to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the USSR's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
He stated that Russian-Chinese cooperation aims to ensure the prosperity of their citizens and is not directed against anyone. He added that both countries now stand shoulder to shoulder in the fight against "neo-Nazism"—a term Putin uses to describe the conflict in Ukraine, as noted by Reuters.
The Russian leader announced that he would be pleased to visit China. Earlier media reports indicated that as part of a return visit, he would visit Beijing in September and participate in events commemorating Japan's surrender and the end of World War II in Asia.
In a brief address, Xi said, "In this new era, China-Russia relations are more composed and confident, stable and resilient."
He affirmed China's willingness to work closely with Russia in advancing a fairer, more structured, multipolar, and interconnected approach to global economic globalization.
He added that it is essential to strongly safeguard the interests of China, Russia, and the broader community of developing nations. He stated that both countries, as global powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council, will cooperate to counteract "unilateralism and bullying," which, highlighted by Reuters, was a reference to U.S. policy.
The Chinese leader will participate in a military parade in Moscow
Xi is the most important of more than 20 foreign political leaders who will participate in the military parade on Red Square on Friday. Alongside Russian soldiers, troops from the Honor Guard of the Chinese People's Liberation Army will march. This will not be their first participation— the Chinese military took part in parades in 2015 and 2020.
This year, Xi spoke with Putin by phone on 21 January and 24 February. In 2024, the leaders have met three times.
