On the 26th, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Vyacheslav Volodin, the Chairman of the State Duma of Russia, and said that it is necessary to strengthen ties with the Global South (emerging and developing countries in the southern hemisphere).
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China stated that President Xi met with Chairman Volodin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing that morning. Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) Peng Qinghua attended the meeting.
President Xi noted, 'The relationship between China and Russia is unmatched in terms of stability, maturity, and strategic significance among major country relations,' adding, 'Efforts to develop China-Russia relations not only align with the interests of both peoples but also become a stabilizing factor for world peace.'
Regarding the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, President Xi said, 'China and the Soviet Union each served as the main battlefields of World War II in Asia and Europe, respectively, suffering tremendous sacrifices in the fight against Japanese militarism and German Nazism, greatly contributing to victory,' and called for expanding exchanges and cooperation.
He emphasized that 'both countries should jointly safeguard security and development interests, promote solidarity with Global South countries, and uphold true multilateralism to establish a fairer and more reasonable international order.'
The meeting between President Xi and Chairman Volodin took place amid recent pressures from the United States on China and Russia. U.S. President Donald Trump remarked on the 22nd (local time) that he could impose sanctions against Russia in relation to the Ukraine war and stated on the 25th that he would impose a tariff of up to 200% if China does not supply rare earth elements.