China’s President Xi Jinping, who is in Moscow to mark 80 years since the end of World War II, said Beijing would stand by Moscow against “hegemonic persecution” during his meeting with Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin.

Russia and China have significantly strengthened their ties since the start of the Russian offensive against Ukraine in 2022, to the point where Westerners accuse Beijing of being a key element in the Russian war effort by helping Moscow circumvent international sanctions.

The two countries base their partnership on rivalry with the West, particularly the United States, which they accuse of imposing hegemony in international relations.

“Against the international trend of unilateralism and the behavior of hegemonic pursuit, China will work with Russia in assuming the special responsibilities of the world’s great powers,” Xi assured Putin.

“The mutual political trust between China and Russia is deepening and the ties for pragmatic cooperation are getting stronger,” the Chinese president continued.

The Russian president gave an assurance that Russia and China would develop their relations “in the interests of the peoples of the two countries and not against anyone.” “Our relations are based on a basis of parity and are mutually beneficial.”

Putin also said Russia and China would together defend the “historical truth” about World War II. The Russian president accused the West of wanting to distort it.

Xi arrived in Moscow yesterday and received a warm welcome at the Kremlin from Putin and a Russian delegation of government officials and Russian business chiefs. Among them were the director of Russia’s atomic energy agency Rosatom, the head of hydrocarbon giant Rosneft, the head of Russia’s central bank.

The Chinese president will join Putin at the military parade in Red Square to commemorate the end of World War II. Chinese soldiers will join the parade.