Xi and Putin join forces against the US in promise of a new era

• Putin and Xi present the United States as the hegemonic power of the Cold War.
• Commitment to deepen the partnership in defense and trade.
• Let's say a new era is dawning in Russian-Chinese relations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have joined forces against the United States as their two most powerful rivals, vowing to usher in a “new era” of partnership.

In their determination to remain united against their Western opponent, both nations had, in February 2022, declared a “boundless” partnership when Russia's Putin visited Beijing just days before sending thousands of troops to Ukraine.

Both Xi and Putin were seen on Thursday being greeted by People's Liberation Army soldiers marching in front of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and were honored with a 21-gun salute in Tiananmen Square, Reuters reported.

Chinese and Russian leaders signed a joint “new era” declaration, proclaiming their opposition to the United States on a range of security issues.

In their historic meeting, both heads of state shared a vision on everything from Taiwan and Ukraine to North Korea and cooperation on new technologies and nuclear finance for peaceful purposes.

“The current relationship between China and Russia is hard-won and should be valued and fostered by both sides,” Xi told Putin.

“China is willing to… jointly achieve the development and rejuvenation of our respective countries, and work together to uphold equity and justice in the world.”

Russia, waging war against NATO-supplied Ukrainian forces, and China, under pressure from a concerted US effort to counter its growing military and economic strength, have increasingly found common geopolitical cause.

Xi has told Putin that they both have a chance to drive changes the world has not seen in a century, which many analysts see as an attempt to challenge a U.S.-led global order.

Their governments, struggling against the perceived indignities of the 1991 Soviet collapse and centuries of European colonial rule over China, have sought to portray the West as decadent and in decline, with China challenging American supremacy in everything from quantum computing and synthetic biology to espionage and technology. hard military power.

But China and Russia face their own challenges, including a slowing Chinese economy and an emboldened and expanding NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Washington considers Beijing its biggest competitor and Moscow its biggest threat as a nation-state.

— Additional contribution from Reuters