L-R, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh hold talks in Beijing on Tuesday. Photo by Sergey Bobylev/EPA/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday praised “unprecedented” Sino-Russian cooperation on a prominent visit to Beijing for a massive military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping for “high-level” talks on the eve of the anniversary of the Imperial Japanese Army’s surrender to China’s nationalist government, Putin hailed what he said was China’s willingness to work with Russia to establish a fairer international order.
“Dear friend, both I and the entire Russian delegation are pleased to meet once again with our Chinese friends and colleagues. Our close communication reflects the strategic nature of Russia-China relations, which are at an unprecedentedly high level, ” Putin told Xi, according to a statement released by the Kremlin.
China-Russia relations had “withstood the test of international change,” added Putin, who placed strong emphasis on Beijing’s shared goal of promoting the “construction of a more just and reasonable global governance system.”
The Kremlin said the talks would focus on building on the comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction between Russia and China, as well as practical cooperation,” with global and regional issues and cooperation at multilateral venues high on the agenda.
During their meeting, which took place in the Great Hall of the People, the pair took turns bemoaning Western tactics with Xi accusing some nations of “bullying,” while Putin said the situation in Ukraine was the fault of the West, not Russia.
China has consistently refused to criticize Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, signing onto a “no limits” cooperation joint statement at the start of the war in February 2022, with the relationship growing steadily closer ever since.
Beijing rejects allegations by the United States and allies that exports to Russia of technology and goods with military uses, as well as civilian, and the buying of Russian oil are tantamount to support for its war on Ukraine.
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, Russia’s other, even bigger ally, in that he has supplied troops and weapons to Moscow’s war effort, was also on Xi’s top guest list for the military commemorations.
Earlier, Putin participated in trilateral talks with Xi and Mongolian President Ukhnagiin Khurelsukh, as well as separate leaders from other unnamed states attending the event.
Heads of other states attending China’s largest-ever military pageant include Pakistan, Myanmar’s Military Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, and pro-Russian European leaders.
The Communist Party is claiming the historic victory on Sept. 3, 1945, as its own, scooting over the fact the ruling nationalist Kuomingtang did most of the fighting before being toppled themselves by Mao Zedong’s communist revolutionaries in 1949.
