Russian President Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping put their countries’ partnership on red-carpet display in Beijing on Thursday, aiming to project a unified alternative to the West as each faces pressure amid Moscow’s war on Ukraine. President Xi received Putin outside the Great Hall of the People while uniformed bands played, soldiers stood at attention and cannons and rifles fired. The welcome and celebration of 75 years of diplomatic relations was followed by a 2½-hour meeting and a joint news conference, where the leaders signed declarations to deepen cooperation between their nations. “China-Russia relations have withstood the test of time and become even stronger,” Xi said in televised remarks after the meeting with Putin. “The generational friendship and comprehensive cooperation between China and Russia have formed a strong driving force that allows us to move forward without fear of wind and rain.” Putin’s two-day visit, his first international trip since starting his unprecedented fifth term as president amid a crackdown on his opposition, came as both countries faced pressure or isolation from the West. The U.S. has warned Xi against enabling Putin’s assault on Ukraine through enhanced trade and economic cooperation . “It’s all about symbolism,” said Alexey Muraviev, an associate professor of National Security and Strategic Studies at Curtin University in Western Australia. “It is a stepping stone that will mark the turn in bilateral relations for the next five to six years.” During the news conference, Xi referred to the meeting as a new start in history for the two nations, and touted rising bilateral trade that has nearly doubled in the past 10 years to more than $240 billion. China has benefited from cheap energy imports from Russia, and Putin on Thursday said the country would buy more Chinese electric vehicles just as the U.S. has implemented tariffs on them. But having China