Xi and Putin Pledge to Elevate China-Russia Ties in Video Meeting After Trump's Inauguration

Jan 21, 2025, 11:09 AM

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a 1.5-hour video meeting on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, reaffirming their commitment to deepen strategic cooperation and elevate bilateral relations to new heights in 2025. Both leaders emphasized that China-Russia cooperation, based on 'friendship, mutual trust and support,' plays a stabilizing role in international affairs. They agreed to coordinate their foreign policies in the face of external uncertainties and to jointly defend the UN-centered international system and the outcomes of World War II victory. They expressed readiness to build relations with the United States on a mutually beneficial and respectful basis, provided the Trump administration shows interest. The leaders also exchanged invitations to attend commemorative events marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II; Putin invited Xi to Moscow for the Victory Day parade, while Xi invited Putin to China to commemorate the victory over Japan on September 3.