Xi stands with Putin against ‘international bullying’ amid Trump trade war

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for formal talks on Thursday for the first time since President Donald Trump exacerbated the U.S.-China trade war last month. 

In a statement at the top of the meeting, Xi pledged to stand by his anti-Western ally against "power politics" and "bullying on the international stage."

"Eighty years ago, the peoples of China and Russia made tremendous sacrifices to secure a great victory, contributing an indelible chapter to the cause of world peace and human progress," Xi said, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping exchange documents during a signing ceremony following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 8, 2025. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images)

"Today, in the face of unilateralist backflows and acts of power politics and bullying on the international stage, China will join Russia in shouldering our special responsibilities as major countries and permanent members of the U.N. Security Council," he added. 

The pair met on what is considered Victory Day in Europe, which marks the beginning of the end of World War II, when the Allied nations accepted the surrender of Nazi Germany on May 8, 1945, though Russia celebrates the anniversary one day later. 

Japan did not surrender until September 1945, though Xi and Putin convened for a joint celebration which will take place in Moscow’s Red Square on Friday and will include a large contingent of Chinese troops. Leaders from 20 nations, including Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula de Silva, will also reportedly be in attendance.

While Xi appeared to take direct aim at the U.S., which under Trump has slapped 145% tariffs on all Chinese exports, Putin’s language was more toned down when he said, "We are developing our ties in the interests of both our peoples and not aimed against anyone."

Putin and Xi first expanded their relationship just ahead of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which resulted in the West’s attempt to isolate Moscow in retaliation for the deadly war. 

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping meet along with their delegations in Moscow on May 8, 2025. (Alexey Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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Russia, China, Iran and North Korea have since deepened ties in an alliance that has increasingly concerned Western partners, though the Trump administration has looked to step away from these divisions in what some have argued could weaken U.S. ties with Washington’s long-standing allies. 

Putin said the ties strengthened during its war years were "one of the fundamental foundations of modern Russian-Chinese relations".

"Together with our Chinese friends, we firmly stand guard over the historical truth, protect the memory of the events of the war years, and counteract modern manifestations of neo-Nazism and militarism," he added in reference to one of his long-debunked claims used to justify his illegal invasion of Ukraine. 

According to Russian news outlet TASS, both Xi and Putin pledged to help play a role in the Trump administration’s push to form a new nuclear agreement with Iran. 

While both were key players in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which Trump abandoned in 2018, it remains unclear how they intend to participate in this round of negotiations facilitated by Oman. 

Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers march toward Red Square to rehearse for the Victory Day military parade on May 3, 2025, in Moscow, Russia. (Tian Bing/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

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"The parties intend to play an active creative role in the settlement around the Iranian nuclear program, emphasizing that it will contribute to maintaining the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, peace and stability in the Middle East," the readout said. 

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s questions regarding any potential China-Russia involvement in the talks.