China and Russia “cannot be moved away” from one another, Chinese leader Xi Jinping told his counterpart Vladimir Putin Monday, in their first phone call since US President Donald Trump upended American foreign policy with a sweeping pivot toward Moscow as he pushes for peace in Ukraine.

Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, Russia's TASS state news agency reported on Friday.

US attempts to sow discord between China and Russia were "doomed to fail", Beijing said on Thursday, after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to outline Washington's strategy to dilute ties between the two nuclear-powered neighbours.

President Donald Trump’s rapprochement with Russia has some experts suggesting he might be trying to do a “reverse Nixon” and isolate Beijing by courting Moscow.

Analysts say China's vote has to be seen in the context of a changing world order, where Donald Trump is upending America’s long-held role as a leading global player.

Chinese President Xi Jinping told senior Kremlin aide Sergei Shoigu on Friday that the two countries were "true friends like steel repeatedly tempered by fire", according to state broadcaster CCTV. "Both sides should continue to strengthen their coordination in international and regional matters,

China and Russia need to continue to strengthen coordination in international and regional affairs, President Xi Jinping told Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, in Beijing on Friday,

Chinese President Xi Jinping has held a call with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and said he was pleased with Moscow’s efforts to hold a summit with the U.S. toward ending the war in Ukraine

US President Donald Trump’s push to end the war in Ukraine appears poised to hand key concessions to Russia, leaving Kyiv and its European supporters on the sidelines as they face the prospect of a peace deal made over their heads.