On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin informed Chinese leader Xi Jinping that the relationship between their nations has reached an “unprecedented level” during their meeting in Beijing, just before a grand military parade.

This parade, which is set to take place on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, is expected to draw in around two dozen global leaders, including North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, who will be visiting China for the first time since 2019.

In a televised address, Xi stated, “China-Russia relations have proven resilient amid international changes,” highlighting Beijing’s eagerness to collaborate with Moscow towards achieving a “more equitable and rational” global framework.

Putin remarked that their ongoing communication “reflects the strategic nature of Russian-Chinese relations,” emphasizing, “We were always united in the past, and we continue to stand together in the present.”

This meeting follows a week of active diplomacy for Xi, who also chaired the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin.

On Monday, both leaders took the opportunity during the SCO forum to voice their criticisms of the West. Xi condemned what he described as “bullying behavior,” which was a clear reference to Washington, while Putin justified Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and pointed fingers at the West for exacerbating the conflict.

In early 2022, Russia and China announced a “no limits” partnership, and since then, their military and trade cooperation has intensified.

On Tuesday, Russian state media reported that the energy company Gazprom has finalized an agreement with China’s national oil firm to boost gas deliveries by around 15%.

China has refrained from denouncing Russia’s actions in Ukraine, positioning itself as a neutral mediator and assigning blame to the West for prolonging the hostilities.