China and Russia strengthen strategic alliance while challenging Western narratives

In a powerful show of unity, China and Russia reaffirmed their strategic partnership and mutual commitment to global multipolarity during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Moscow. The meeting coincided with Russia’s celebration of Victory Day on May 9, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, and was marked by a robust joint declaration challenging Western interference and historical revisionism.

The leaders of both nations, President Xi and President Vladimir Putin, issued a comprehensive statement underscoring their shared concerns over what they described as attempts by “certain countries” to distort the outcome of the Second World War. Without naming the United States directly at every turn, the language clearly pointed to Washington and its allies, accusing them of trying to undermine the sacrifices made by the Allied powers, particularly the Soviet Union and China, in defeating fascism.

President Xi’s visit, his eleventh since assuming office in 2013, highlights the deepening political and strategic ties between Moscow and Beijing. During their four-hour-long dialogue, both leaders referred to each other as close friends and pledged to stand united against rising geopolitical tensions fueled by the West. President Putin confirmed plans to visit China later this year, where a similar commemorative event marking the defeat of Japan in World War II will take place.

The joint statement adopted a more assertive tone than previous declarations, signaling a significant shift in diplomatic posture. It criticized U.S. efforts to expand NATO’s influence into the Asia-Pacific, warning that such moves threaten the region’s peace and development. “The United States and its allies are attempting to establish exclusive political and military blocs under the guise of the ‘Indo-Pacific strategy,’” the statement said, accusing Washington of instigating division and provoking confrontation.

The two countries also condemned unilateral sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its partners, which bypass the United Nations and contradict international law. “Such coercive measures,” the statement emphasized, “undermine global stability and violate the principles of sovereignty and non-interference.”

While China remains locked in a prolonged trade conflict with the United States, which began under former President Donald Trump, Russia continues to face Western pressure regarding the situation in Ukraine. Yet the joint leadership of Xi and Putin appears determined to resist these pressures and build a more balanced global order, one not dominated by Western powers.

This week’s high-level summit serves as another reminder of the evolving global power dynamics. China and Russia are increasingly aligned in their opposition to U.S. hegemony, and their cooperation now extends across political, economic, and military domains. In 2024 alone, the two countries conducted 14 joint military exercises, reflecting a growing synergy in defense and security policy that is causing concern in Western capitals.

China’s stance on Taiwan was also reinforced during the visit. President Xi reiterated that the end of the Second World War marked Taiwan’s return to China, a historical perspective that continues to be rejected by the United States and its allies. The Communist Party of China views Taiwan as an integral part of its national territory, despite the island being governed separately since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. The joint declaration left no ambiguity, with Russia affirming its full support for China’s efforts to safeguard its sovereignty and achieve national reunification.

The inclusion of a Chinese honor guard in Moscow’s military parade, the first since 2015, was a symbolic gesture that further underlined the solidarity between the two nations. It sent a clear message to the world: Beijing and Moscow stand shoulder-to-shoulder, not only in commemorating past victories but also in confronting current geopolitical challenges.

As the U.S. continues to pursue strategies aimed at containing both Russia and China, this deepening alliance poses a formidable counterbalance. Alongside strategic partners like Pakistan, which shares longstanding ties with both Beijing and Moscow, a new multipolar world is steadily taking shape, one built on cooperation, mutual respect, and resistance to Western domination.