As Xi leaves Moscow, China, Russia agree to jointly counter new Indo-Pacific strategy

The relationship between the two nations is built upon trust and cooperation, with bilateral trade hitting a record high of USD 190.27 billion in 2022, up 29.3 per cent year-on-year.

- Rezaul H Laskar and Sutirtho Patranobis

Chinese President Xi Jinping returned to China on Wednesday after his high-profile Moscow state visit where he put on a display of solidarity with embattled Russian President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine, jointly calling for a "new world order" but without making any breakthrough to end the conflict in the East European country.

The meetings between Xi and Putin held over Monday and until late Tuesday, with each referring the other as "old friend", further cemented ties between Beijing and Moscow, already united by their anti-West hostility and bound by the "no limits friendship" declared when Putin visited Beijing days before invading Ukraine in February 2022.

A joint statement issued after Putin and Xi's meetings also indicates the two countries will continue jointly opposing the raising of the Ukraine crisis at the G20, just as they have done at two key ministerial meetings hosted by India.