TIANJIN — Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed a relationship with Beijing at an “unprecedentedly high level” on Tuesday, in his first formal talks with his host Xi Jinping since arriving in China on Sunday.

The meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing is the latest show of solidarity between the two strongmen as Putin shrugs off Western pressure to end its war on Ukraine, and Xi casts his country as a new leader of world governance, at a time when US President Donald Trump’s foreign policy is upending the globe.

Harking back to Soviet ties with China during the World War II, Putin hailed “the memory of the brotherhood in arms, trust, mutual support, and firmness in defending common interests” as the foundation of their countries’ strategic alignment “in the new era.”

“We were always together then, and we remain together now,” Putin told Xi at the start of their bilateral sit-down.

China-Russia relations have “withstood the test of shifting international circumstances,” Xi said, calling Putin an “old friend.”

“China is willing to work together with Russia to support each other’s development and revitalization, firmly uphold international fairness and justice, and build a just and reasonable global governance system,” Xi said.

The close rapport between Xi and Putin was on show throughout a two-day security summit in the Chinese port city of Tianjin that concluded Monday. During a banquet dinner Sunday evening, Xi warmly greeted Putin and was seen gesturing expressively in conversation with the Russian leader.

Putin previously said that he discussed his recent negotiations in Alaska with Trump with Xi during summit activities Sunday. Putin met Trump last month in Alaska as the US pushes for Russia to end its war in Ukraine.

The Russian president’s visit to China is also expected to bring him shoulder-to-shoulder with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un. Both top a guest list of foreign dignitaries joining Xi at a massive military parade in the Chinese capital Wednesday.

The visit is the Russian leaders’ longest to a single country since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to a Kremlin record of his overseas visits.

Xi and Putin’s meeting followed a trilateral discussion with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh earlier Tuesday. During that meeting, Putin said the three countries were “good neighbors” with developing political and economic ties. — CNN