‘Friends of steel’: Xi and Putin pledge to stand together against US

Chinese President Xi Jinping told Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Thursday their two countries should be “friends of steel”, as they pledged to raise cooperation to a new level and “decisively” counter the influence of the US. At talks in the Kremlin, the two leaders cast themselves as defenders of a new world order no longer dominated by the US. In a lengthy joint statement, they said they would deepen relations in all areas, including military ties, and “strengthen coordination to decisively counter Washington’s course of ‘dual containment’ of Russia and China”. The two countries said the Ukraine war could only be settled by removing its “root causes” — a phrase Russia uses when arguing it was forced to go to war to prevent the prospect of Ukraine joining Nato. Ukraine and its allies say that was a false pretext for the invasion. Xi is the most powerful of more than two dozen foreign leaders who are visiting Moscow this week to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII — a celebration of huge significance for Putin. Xi’s participation — and the joint statement aligning China with Russia’s view of the conflict — provide Putin with a key boost as Russia comes under pressure from the US to end the war. Russia says it wants to repair relations with the US, which sank to postCold War lows because of the conflict in Ukraine, and that it sees the potential for lucrative business deals.But talks have failed to produce a ceasefire.Xi, whose country is engaged in a tariff war launched by US, said China and Russia should solidify foundations of their cooperation and “eliminate external interference”. In opening remarks after greeting Xi in one of the Kremlin’s most opulent halls, Putin thanked him for coming to Moscow to mark 80 years since the “sacred” victory over Adolf Hitler. “Together 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.”(This is a Reuters' story)