Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 2, 2025. Putin is in China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit 2025, as well as commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

BEIJING, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Speaking highly of the exemplary major-country ties between their countries, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday pledged to strengthen high-level exchanges, mutual support, and coordination for greater development of bilateral relations in the future.

The China-Russia relationship features permanent good-neighborly friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation, Xi said while holding talks with Putin, who is in China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025, as well as commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

China is ready to strengthen high-level exchanges with Russia, support each other's development and revitalization, coordinate positions on issues involving the two countries' core interests and major concerns in a timely manner, and advance bilateral relations for greater development, Xi said.

The two sides should leverage major projects to steer their cooperation, develop exemplary cooperation projects, and promote deep-level integration of interests, he noted, calling for enhanced resilience and understanding in cooperation and all-out efforts to consolidate the overall cooperation.

In 2024, bilateral trade rose to 244.8 billion U.S. dollars, making China the largest trading partner of Russia for 15 consecutive years.

In May, Xi paid a state visit to Russia and attended celebrations in Moscow marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union.

According to Xi, the two countries' heads of state attending each other's commemorations marking the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War fully demonstrates their responsibility as major victorious nations of World War II (WWII) and permanent members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council. It also displays their firm resolve to defend the victorious outcomes of WWII and safeguard a correct historical perspective on WWII, he noted.

Speaking of the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) he just put forward, Xi said the aim of proposing the initiative is to work together with all like-minded countries to resolutely safeguard the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and build a more just and equitable global governance system.

China and Russia should further enhance coordination on multilateral platforms including the UN, the SCO, BRICS and G20, and jointly build a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi said.

The GGI marks the fourth landmark global initiative proposed by Xi over the past several years, following the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. Xi has earlier highlighted five principles of the GGI -- adhering to sovereign equality, abiding by international rule of law, practicing multilateralism, advocating the people-centered approach, and focusing on taking real actions.

Putin, for his part, said that under the leadership of the two heads of state, Russia-China relations have demonstrated great strategic importance, reaching a historic high.

The two countries have showcased to the world their mutual support and joint efforts in the World Anti-Fascist War, which played a key role in securing victory on the main battlefields of WWII in Europe and the East, as well as their firm stance in jointly defending historical truth and safeguarding the fruits of WWII victory, Putin said.

Putin said Xi's GGI proposal, which is timely and necessary, will play an important part in addressing the global governance deficit.

Russia is ready to maintain strategic coordination with China, deepen high-level exchanges, and strengthen practical cooperation across various fields, so as to further promote the high-level development of bilateral relations, Putin said.

The two heads of state also had an in-depth exchange of views on international and regional issues of mutual interest.

The two sides signed more than 20 bilateral cooperation documents covering energy, space, artificial intelligence, agriculture, inspection and quarantine, health, scientific research, education, and media sectors.

Senior Chinese officials Cai Qi and Wang Yi were present at the events. ■

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 2, 2025. Putin is in China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit 2025, as well as commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)