{"id":29151,"date":"2025-05-09T00:02:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T21:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=29151"},"modified":"2025-05-08T22:54:47","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T19:54:47","slug":"china-and-russia-strengthen-alliance-against-hegemonic-bullying-as-xi-meets-putin-in-moscow-for-victory-day-parade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/china-and-russia-strengthen-alliance-against-hegemonic-bullying-as-xi-meets-putin-in-moscow-for-victory-day-parade\/","title":{"rendered":"China and Russia strengthen alliance against \u2018hegemonic bullying\u2019 as Xi meets Putin in Moscow for Victory Day Parade"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

6 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Russia on May 8, 2024, for his four-day-long state visit. Xi\u2019s visit has reinforced the growing strategic partnership between Beijing and Moscow, as the two nations mark the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Against the backdrop of an ongoing war in Ukraine and an increasingly polarized global order, the visit served as a powerful symbolic and diplomatic show of unity between two major powers asserting their role as counterweights to U.S. global influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chinese President Xi told Putin during their meeting, \u201cIn the face of the international counter-current of unilateralism and hegemonic bullying behaviour, China will work with Russia to shoulder the special responsibilities of major world powers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Putin responded by lauding the relationship, emphasizing their shared historical narrative and alignment against Western political narratives. \u201cTogether with our Chinese friends, we firmly stand guard over historical truth, protect the memory of the events of the war years and counteract modern manifestations of neo-Nazism and militarism,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Xi’s highest-profile visit since the beginning of Ukraine war<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xi was welcomed personally by President Vladimir Putin as he arrived in Moscow. The Chinese leader would participate in Russia\u2019s May 9 \u201cVictory Day\u201d parade, a high-profile military spectacle steeped in patriotic symbolism, which underlines the deepening ties between the two nuclear-armed powers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chinese President Xi is the guest of honor at the Victory Day parade, among 29 other foreign leaders. The Kremlin praised Russia-China as a \u201cgenuine example\u201d of cooperation and said they were \u201cat their highest point.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Chinese<\/a>
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin enter the venue of their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on May 8, 2025. (Image Credit: Xinhua\/Wang Ye)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Victory Day has always been important for Putin, both at home and abroad. But since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and became isolated by the West, the holiday has taken on a more defiant tone. This year, the celebrations happen as the war continues to grow. A contingent of Chinese troops has also arrived in Moscow to join the parade, and leaders from countries like Belarus, Brazil, and Vietnam will also be present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


A tactical diplomatic alignment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xi’s remarks emphasized the growing ideological and geopolitical coherence between the two countries. He noted that China and Russia would jointly defend the \u201ccorrect view\u201d of the history of WWII, protect the \u201cauthority and status\u201d of the United Nations, and defend the \u201crights and interests\u201d of China, Russia and the \u201cvast majority of developing countries\u201d to promote an \u201cequal, orderly, multipolar, and inclusive economic globalization.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rhetoric targets the United States and its allies, which both Moscow and Beijing accuse of undermining global stability through what they call \u201cunilateralism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The growing alignment also reflects mutual strategic calculations. Beijing, facing escalating trade tensions with Washington, including a recent 145% tariff hike on key Chinese exports, seeks stable partnerships. Moscow, meanwhile, needs new markets and political support amid deepening sanctions and military setbacks in Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Xi and President Putin also signed the Joint Statement on further deepening the China-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for the New Era on the occasion of the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People\u2019s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union\u2019s Great Patriotic War and the Founding of the United Nations. Both leaders also witnessed the exchange of multiple cooperation documents between the relevant departments of the two countries.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Chinese<\/a>
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the joint statement on further deepening the China-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in Moscow, Russia, on May 8, 2025. (Image Credit: X\/@SpoxCHN_MaoNing)<\/sup><\/em>

<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n


China-Russia defense partnership<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Beijing publicly claims neutrality in the Ukraine conflict, the relationship is far from impartial. Western intelligence has highlighted the role of Chinese dual-use exports, such as microchips and machine parts, in sustaining Russia\u2019s defense-industrial base. Last year, China and Russia reached a record bilateral trade, with China becoming Moscow\u2019s most vital economic partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe intention to build good neighborly relations, strengthen friendship and expand cooperation is a choice of Russia and the People\u2019s Republic of China based on strategic interaction,\u201d Putin said during Xi\u2019s visit. He reiterated that this relationship was \u201cnot against anyone\u201d but rooted in \u201cequality\u201d and \u201cmutual benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, Xi\u2019s visit raised questions in European capitals. Analysts noted that China, while entrenching ties with Russia, is also mindful of its broader diplomatic posture, especially amid signs of a shifting U.S. approach to Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beijing\u2019s balancing act reflects strategic uncertainty. U.S. President Donald Trump has been reassessing Washington\u2019s support for Kyiv and has made gestures that some analysts interpret as favorable to Moscow. At the same time, a recent natural resources agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine signals continued Western commitment to Kyiv\u2019s survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Pipeline diplomacy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

High on the visit\u2019s agenda is the long-delayed Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, which would connect Russian gas fields in western Siberia to northern China. Disagreements over pricing and terms have long stalled the project, but analysts now believe that growing economic pressure on both countries could push them toward compromise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pipeline, if finalized, would further anchor the countries\u2019 strategic alignment by linking energy supply chains and reducing Moscow\u2019s reliance on European markets, already diminished by sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Chinese<\/a>
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold small-group talks at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on May 8, 2025. (Image Credit: Xinhua\/Wang Ye)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As the Kremlin continues its assault on Ukraine and tensions flare across the Taiwan Strait, China and Russia increasingly present themselves as ideological allies resisting U.S.-led global hegemony. While their partnership is far from an alliance in the formal military sense, it is built on shared grievances and converging long-term goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Putin echoed this, invoking the spirit of WWII collaboration, even though the Soviet Union and China did not see significant joint military action during the war: \u201cWe are developing our ties for the benefit of the peoples of both countries, and not against anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The enduring message of this state visit is clear: as Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine enters its fourth year and China faces mounting pressure from the West, the leaders of these two powers are not only standing together, they are signaling they intend to reshape the global order, on their terms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Russia on May 8, 2024, for his four-day-long state visit. Xi\u2019s visit has reinforced the growing strategic partnership between Beijing and Moscow, as the two nations mark the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29157,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[124,62,1],"tags":[45,75,208,357,28,71,401,20,113,296,7,22],"class_list":["post-29151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-pacific","category-europe","category-news","tag-china","tag-conflict","tag-diplomacy","tag-europe","tag-gas","tag-politics","tag-putin","tag-russia","tag-security","tag-trade","tag-u-s","tag-ukraine"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/China-Xi-with-Russia-Putin.jpg?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-7Ab","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29151","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29151"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29151\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29158,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29151\/revisions\/29158"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29151"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29151"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29151"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}