Russia and China solidify alliance with new investment pact
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 most representative 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 said that Russian-Chinese cooperation aims to ensure the prosperity of the citizens of these countries and is not directed against anyone. He added that both countries now stand shoulder to shoulder in the fight against "neo-Nazism"—as Reuters noted, this is how Putin describes the war he is conducting in Ukraine.
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 assured that "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—according to 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 participated in parades in 2015 and 2020.
This year, Xi spoke with Putin by phone on January 21 and February 24. In 2024, the leaders have met three times.
