Xi, Putin Meet in Beijing Ahead of Military Parade

New Delhi | Desk : Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a bilateral meeting in Beijing on Tuesday, just a day before China hosts what is being described as its largest-ever military parade. The event, scheduled for Wednesday, marks the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in China at the end of World War II.

During the talks, President Putin hailed Russia-China ties as being at an “unprecedented level”. He said- “Our close communication reflects the strategic nature of our relations. Dear friend, I and the entire Russian delegation are very glad to once again meet our Chinese friends and colleagues. We stood together then, and we stand together now.”

President Xi, in response, emphasized that China–Russia relations had “stood the test of international changes”. He further noted that China seeks to work with Russia to build a “more just and reasonable global governance system.”

The meeting comes at a time when Russia remains under pressure from the West due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. China has emerged as Moscow’s most significant diplomatic and economic partner in this period.

The United States and the European Union are closely monitoring the growing closeness between Beijing and Moscow.China’s grand military parade is not only a commemoration of WWII but also a message of strength in the current shifting global order.

The Xi–Putin meeting is also symbolic in the backdrop of intensifying U.S. strategies in the Indo-Pacific (such as AUKUS and QUAD) and NATO’s renewed activism in Europe.

The Beijing meeting signals that Moscow and Beijing intend to go beyond transactional cooperation. They are presenting themselves as a joint pole of power in the evolving global balance. Wednesday’s parade will not just honor history, it will also serve as a symbol of this emerging strategic partnership.