Xi Jinping announced plans to change the international order together with Russia
26 August 2025 21:47
China and Russia should work together to “protect their own security and development interests” and to shape a more “just international order.”
This was stated by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting with Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin in Beijing,Reuters reports , "Komersant Ukrainian".
Political signal before Putin’s visit
Volodin’s visit to China comes on the eve of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrival. This weekend, he will attend a security forum in Beijing, where he will meet with leaders from the Global South, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Xi Jinping has called on Russia and China to “unite the countries of the Global South” in opposition to the West. The Kremlin has been actively promoting this idea in recent years, counting on the support of Asia, Africa, and Latin America amid isolation from the EU and the US.
The parade in Beijing and the military context
Putin will also be the main foreign guest at a military parade in China dedicated to the surrender of Japan and the end of World War II. The event is intended to showcase China’s modernized army. Beijing emphasizes that it was China and the USSR that played a key role in the victory over Japan and on the European front.
Analysts believe that Moscow and Beijing are trying to use the historical heritage to legitimize the current military-political alliance.
US reaction: sanctions and trade pressure
At the same time, Washington’s pressure is increasing. US President Donald Trump said that he could impose “massive sanctions” against Russia within two weeks if the Kremlin does not de-escalate the war against Ukraine.
Trump also demands that China supply rare earth magnets, threatening 200% tariffs. In early August, he held a summit with Putin in Alaska, but failed to organize a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Background: the “Global South” and authoritarian alliances
Beijing and Moscow are trying to position themselves as defenders of the countries of the “Global South,” many of which are members of the BRICS bloc. However, the standard of living there is much lower than in the G7 countries: while the GDP per capita in the United States is about $70 thousand, in China it is only $12 thousand.
The total GDP of Ukraine and its Western allies is 21 times higher than that of Russia and its partners.
Both countries remain closed authoritarian systems.
According to the V-Dem 2023 Democracy Index, China ranked third from the bottom in the world.
In the RSF 2025 Press Freedom Index, China ranked 178th out of 180, remaining “the largest prison for journalists in the world.”
