Moscow, May 8 – Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for a four-day state visit, reaffirming growing ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the Kremlin prepares for its annual May 9 “Victory Day” military parade. The visit, Xi’s third to Russia since the start of the Ukraine conflict, signals deepening political and economic alignment between Beijing and Moscow amid escalating tensions with the United States and its allies.
In a statement released upon his arrival, Xi called China and Russia “good neighbors that cannot be moved apart,” and emphasized their shared opposition to “hegemonism and power politics.” His remarks echoed previous statements made by Putin, who last month described Xi as the parade’s “main guest.”
The Chinese leader is expected to attend commemorations marking 80 years since the Allied victory in World War II, with a Chinese People’s Liberation Army honor guard also scheduled to join the military parade in Moscow’s Red Square. Leaders from Brazil, Vietnam, and Belarus are also expected at the celebrations, which are taking place against the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
In a symbolic gesture ahead of the parade, Putin proposed a three-day ceasefire, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected, dismissing it as a “theatrical performance.” Kyiv instead reiterated support for an earlier U.S.-backed 30-day ceasefire proposal.
Zelensky also warned visiting dignitaries that Ukraine “cannot be responsible for what happens” on Russian territory during the conflict. The war has seen multiple Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow, including a deadly strike in March.
Xi’s visit comes amid a worsening trade conflict between China and the United States, and analysts suggest Beijing is increasingly reliant on Moscow for energy and export markets. Bilateral trade between the two countries hit record levels last year, with Western officials accusing China of supplying dual-use goods that support Russia’s defense industry — a claim Beijing denies.
The leaders are expected to discuss energy cooperation, including the long-delayed Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline project, as well as shared concerns over U.S. policy in the Indo-Pacific and Europe.
“Given the turbulence created by Washington’s policy in the world, China and Russia will be signaling that there is still stability and credibility in international affairs,” said Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center in Washington.
Observers say Xi will be careful to maintain a balancing act — deepening ties with Russia while also leaving room to repair strained relations with European countries. The visit is widely seen as a calculated move to assert China and Russia’s vision for a “multipolar” world order, in contrast to U.S.-led global leadership.
Despite occasional overtures from Washington and shifts in U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump, analysts say neither Beijing nor Moscow is likely to abandon their increasingly close partnership. “Russia stands jointly with China,” said Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University in Beijing. “The fundamental hostile attitude toward Russia in the U.S. cannot be changed.”
