Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that relations between their two nations were at an "unprecedented level."

Putin, who also called Xi his "dear friend," made the remarks during high-level talks in Beijing, a day after the pair attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in nearby Tianjin.

The Russian leader, who has been largely shunned by the West over Moscow's war in Ukraine, has this week been welcomed with open arms in China, where he is also due to attend the country's largest-ever military parade on Wednesday.

"Dear friend, both I and the entire Russian delegation are pleased to meet once again with our Chinese friends and colleagues," Putin told Xi at a meeting, according to footage published on the Kremlin's official Telegram channel.

"Our close communication reflects the strategic nature of Russia-China relations, which are at an unprecedentedly high level," the Russian president added.

China-Russia ties deepen amid US isolationism

While most Western governments have severed ties with Russia over its war in Ukraine, Moscow's relations with Beijing have deepened since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Putin's visit also comes against the backdrop of a shifting US approach to foreign affairs and international trade, with President Donald Trump's tariffs and increasingly isolationist policies shaking up the world order.

China, on the other hand, has positioned itself as a stable and reliable partner to Russia and many other nations in Asia, including India.

During their meeting, Xi told Putin that relations between their two nations have "withstood the test of international changes."

The Chinese leader also said his government was ready to work with Putin's to "promote the construction of a more just and reasonable global governance system."

Russia and China signed some 20 cooperation agreements involving various fields during the meeting, China's CCTV state broadcaster reported.

What other leaders will attend the military parade?

This week, Xi is welcoming over two dozen leaders from countries that have strained ties with the West for a military parade marking 80 years since Japan's surrender at the end of the Second World War. 

In addition to Putin, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian and North Korea's Kim Jong Un are the highest-profile leaders set to take part in the Victory Day parade.

The parade would mark the first time Kim, Xi and Putin gather at the same venue, with all three — along with Iran — seen as adversaries of the US. Some Western analysts have dubbed the countries taking part in the meeting the "axis of upheaval." 

A meeting between Putin and Kim is "under consideration," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told Russia's TASS news agency. 

Xi, Putin and Kim could also hold a trilateral meeting in Beijing to discuss their deepening ties. 

The only Western leaders to be invited are from Slovakia and Serbia, two countries that have sought to maintain ties with Russia since it started the conflict in Ukraine.

Kim Jong Un makes rare foreign trip

Kim Jong Un entered China earlier on Tuesday, according to North Korean state media, as he travels by train on a rare foreign trip.

Several top officials traveled with Kim, including North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui.

An armored train presumed to be carrying Kim was seen arriving in Beijing hours after talks between Xi and Putin.

This would make Kim's first visit to China since 2019 and the fifth since he took over the reins of the country's leadership after his father's death in 2011.

Putin and Kim may hold a meeting after the North Korean leader's arrival, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

The trip comes as Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung voiced their hopes for renewed talks with North Korea. Pyongyang has refused talks so far while also working to increase its nuclear arsenal.

How are North Korea's ties with Russia and China?

North Korea has been actively supporting Russia's war in Ukraine, both through its own soldiers and ammunition, in return for economic and military assistance from Moscow.

Beijing, meanwhile, has been Pyongyang's main ally for decades, and although ties were strained during the Covid-19 pandemic, Xi and Kim vowed to strengthen their bilateral relationship in 2021.

Edited by: Sean Sinico