Chinese President Xi Jinping told Russia's Vladimir Putin on Thursday their two countries should be "friends of steel," as they pledged to raise cooperation to a new level and "decisively" counter the influence of the United States.

The two leaders, meeting in Moscow, rejected what they described as Washington’s attempt to contain them. They also hailed their friendship.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held bilateral meetings in Moscow, emphasizing an alliance they claim will create a multipolar world order. Xi’s four-day trip to Moscow started on Wednesday and coincides with Russia’s 80th-anniversary commemorations of the end of World War II.