Beijing will stand with Moscow in the face of “hegemonic bullying”, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Russian leader Vladimir Putin during a visit to the Kremlin on Thursday. Xi, whom Putin calls a “dear friend”, is the highest profile guest for Moscow’s celebrations to mark the defeat of the Nazis. Russia has become increasingly economically reliant on China during its Ukraine offensive. Beijing has portrayed itself as a neutral party throughout the conflict, but the West accuses it of enabling Russia economically and diplomatically.
