Putin and Xi affirm strategic alliance amid ‘unpredictable’ world

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed their strategic alliance during a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Xi stated that bilateral ties between Beijing and Moscow have become 'more solid', despite the increasing uncertainty in the international order. Putin agreed that cooperation is successfully developing on all fronts, as Russia becomes increasingly dependent on China due to Western sanctions related to the invasion of Ukraine.