Premium

Xi Jinping says China-Russia ties are now ‘more confident, stable and resilient’

This comes as the Chinese President met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to mark the 80th anniversary of Russia’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping attend a welcoming ceremony before their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow. (AP Photo)

Chinese President Xi Jinping Thursday said China-Russia relations have grown “more confident, stable and resilient in the new era”, as he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to mark the 80th anniversary of Russia’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Xi’s remarks were reported by China’s official Xinhua news agency.

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Xi at the Kremlin and called him his “dear friend”, according to Reuters. “I am happy to visit Russia again at the invitation of my old friend, President Putin,” said Xi.

Upon his arrival, Xi was received with full honours, including a military band welcome. According to Chinese state media, the visit aims to “deepen mutual trust” and celebrate the shared history of victory against Nazi Germany.

Xi pledges to work with Russia against ‘unilateralism and bullying’

Xi also said that China would continue cooperating with Russia to defend the United Nations’ authority. “Facing unilateralism and bullying, China will work with Russia to safeguard the authority and status of the United Nations,” Reuters quoted Xi as saying.

Xi’s four-day trip comes at a time when Ukraine continues its drone offensive against the Russian capital. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that air defence systems have destroyed at least 19 drones overnight, prompting the temporary closure of major airports. Russian carrier Aeroflot said it had revised flight schedules to manage the disruption.

Meanwhile, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also invited to the events, cancelled his trip to attend the event in Moscow due to the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram