BEIJING – Chinese leader Xi Jinping greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin as an “old friend” as they commenced a series of meetings on Tuesday. This took place at a time when both nations are facing similar and distinct challenges from the United States.

Relations between China and Russia have deepened in recent years, particularly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.

Putin referred to Xi as “dear friend,” highlighting that the relations between Moscow and Beijing are “at an unprecedentedly high level.” After their official discussions, it was planned for them to have another meeting over tea with their senior aides.

The discussions occurred a day after they both attended a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in the nearby Chinese city of Tianjin. This was ahead of a significant Chinese military parade in Beijing commemorating the 80th anniversary of World War II’s conclusion.

Although the Soviet Union maintained neutrality for much of the war in Asia, it supported China during earlier battles against Japanese forces in the 1930s. In the final days of World War II, it declared war on Japan, sending troops into Japanese-occupied northeastern China.

“We were always together then, we remain together now,” Putin said.

China claims neutrality in the Ukraine war but has continued to offer economic support to Russia by maintaining trade, despite Western sanctions. Some Chinese companies have been accused of assisting the military industry.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, consisting of 10 members, gathered Xi, Putin, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had individual discussions with both leaders on the sidelines of the event.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s steep tariffs on India and the tone coming from the White House have pushed New Delhi closer to China and Russia, though Modi will not attend China’s military parade.

Putin and Xi held a three-way meeting with Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa ahead of their talks. His landlocked country of grasslands and mineral mines is sandwiched between the two giants.

Putin said in opening remarks that the three countries are good neighbors, with a shared interest in developing ties. “Our three countries have much in common,” he said.

In 2024, Putin made an official visit to Mongolia, where the government ignored calls to arrest him on an International Criminal Court warrant for alleged war crimes stemming from the invasion of Ukraine.