The Chinese army's Honor Guard paraded through the streets of Moscow on Sunday night. Just a week ago, the same soldiers from the Asian giant were in Ho Chi Minh participating in the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. The procession through the capital of Russia was a rehearsal for the grand parade on May 9th, Victory Day, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. At this event, alongside host Vladimir Putin, will be Chinese President Xi Jinping.
From Beijing, it was announced that their leader will undertake a four-day long visit to Russia, from Wednesday to Saturday. In Moscow, he will meet with Putin, with whom the Chinese spokespersons have referred to as "strategic communications." The last time they met in person was in October of last year, also in Russia, in the city of Kazan, during the annual BRICS summit.
So far in 2025, Xi and Putin have spoken a couple of times. The first was a video call on January 21, a day after Donald Trump returned to the White House. A month later, on February 24, the Chinese and Russian leaders spoke on the phone again. Like the first call, the chosen date was not coincidental. It was the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In that conversation, which coincided with a moment when, from Washington, Trump was approaching the Kremlin and pressuring Ukrainian Volodimir Zelenski to accept a peace agreement unfavorable to Kiev, Chinese media highlighted that Xi had reaffirmed their "unlimited" partnership with his Russian counterpart. This term was first used by Xi and Putin to define their alliance just a few days before Putin sent tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine in February 2022.
Surrounding Xi's visit to Moscow this week is the dispute between China and the United States over Trump's trade war and Putin's call for a three-day ceasefire in Ukraine. Added to this are the increasing tensions between Kiev and Beijing after Zelenski openly insisted in recent weeks that the Chinese are supporting Moscow with arms.
"We have finally received information that China is supplying arms to the Russian Federation. We believe that Chinese representatives are involved in the production of some weapons on Russian territory," stated Zelenski, who had previously revealed that at least 155 Chinese mercenaries were reportedly fighting alongside Russian troops (the Ukrainian army captured two Chinese soldiers in the Donetsk region in April).
Since the invasion of Ukraine, Moscow and Beijing have strengthened their partnership, and China's economic support has been the Kremlin's main asset to navigate through the impact of Western sanctions. In 2024, bilateral trade reached a record $237 billion, and Russia now heavily relies on China as a key buyer of oil and gas.
European leaders have repeatedly urged Xi Jinping to use his influence over Putin and press his Russian partner to halt the attack. The Asian country, especially for external appearances, has insisted that it maintains a neutral stance and has tried to mediate in the conflict. However, in the domestic media sphere, state propaganda channels have been sharing the Kremlin's narrative for years.
"China and Russia will further strengthen their close collaboration in multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the BRICS group," a Chinese spokesperson told state channel CCTV on Tuesday. "Both leaders will unite the vast Global South, guide global governance in the right direction, firmly oppose acts of intimidation, and jointly promote an equal multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization," the message continued, clearly directed at Washington and Trump's protectionist policies.
Chinese media have reported that, in addition to the parade in Moscow for the Victory Day anniversary, the Chinese army's Honor Guard will also participate in similar events in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Putin had already publicly anticipated Xi's visit when, in early April, he met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
On Sunday, following the official announcement of Xi's trip to Moscow, the Russian state television channel aired a documentary in which Putin praised the bilateral relations with China. "We have such reliable and stable relations that, by their very existence, they strengthen global stability," he stated. This declaration aligned with a recent editorial in the People's Daily, the official newspaper of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP): "Facing a torrent of global challenges, China and Russia, two of the world's major powers, are strengthening their strategic partnership to help stabilize a turbulent world."