Russian leader Vladimir Putin said his ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping are at an unprecedented level as the two met in Beijing on the eve of a massive military parade.
Putin described Xi as a dear friend; Chinese state media said relations were exemplary. Russia is to increase supplies of gas to China, while Beijing will offer visa-free travel to Russians during a year-long trial.
Xi is also preparing to welcome North Korea's Kim Jong Un in what appears to be a show of solidarity with both aggressors in the Ukraine war.
Xi will host China's largest-ever military parade on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the formal surrender of the Japanese at the end of World War Two.
In May, Xi visited Moscow for Russia's celebrations to mark the defeat of the Nazis.
Russia and North Korea rely on China to bolster their economies, and these meetings will allow the Chinese leader to signal the extent of his power and influence – at a time when Donald Trump is trying to do a deal with Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
At the talks in the Great Hall of the People on Tuesday, Putin made no explicit reference to his war in Ukraine, saying only that he had discussed issues of common concern with his Chinese counterpart.
Xi told Putin that China-Russia relations have withstood the test of international changes - adding that Beijing was willing to work with Moscow to promote the construction of a more just and reasonable global governance system.
This week's meetings come at a time when Xi seeks to project Beijing's power on the international stage - not just as the world's second-largest economy, but also as a diplomatic heavyweight.
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un will also attend the military parade on Wednesday, in what will be a landmark visit, after crossing the border into China on his special train early on Tuesday.
Most Western leaders are not expected to show up at the parade, due to their opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has driven the sanctions against Putin's regime.
