News analysis Why Xi, Putin say their alliance is rock solid amid Trump's overtures to Russia

Sino-Russian ties of more value to both parties than what US can offer: Analysts

- Joyce ZK Lim

BEIJING/SHENZHEN - Barely a week after Washington and Moscow appeared to make nice - potentially to the detriment of Beijing - Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin reassured each other that their de facto alliance remains rock solid.

Three years to the day Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, on Feb 24, Mr Putin, in a phone call to his Chinese counterpart, gave an update on Russia's recent engagements with the US, and said that Sino-Russian ties are "not subject to external influence".

In turn, Mr Xi - whose personal ties with Mr Putin are well documented, having met at least 40 times in the past decade - told Mr Putin that the bilateral relationship "has a strong internal driving force and unique strategic value".

"It is neither targeted at any third party nor affected by any third party," Mr Xi said, according to a read-out released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Feb 24.

"No matter how the international landscape changes, our relationship shall move forward at its own pace, contribute to our countries' respective development and revitalisation, and inject stability and positivity into international relations."

The Kremlin said in a statement that the two leaders also emphasised Russian-Chinese political ties as an essential stabilising factor in global affairs, and that the relationship is strategic in nature, not subject to political bias, and not aimed against anyone.

The phone call was a rebuff to US President Donald Trump's recent overtures to Mr Putin. The Trump administration believes it can drive a wedge between Russia and China, to ultimately focus its energy on dealing with Beijing - a strategy that commentators have described as "reverse Nixon".