News - Middle East: Chinese President Xi Jinping says Beijing will give Moscow "firm support," assuring Russian leaders that his administration would be backing them on "core" issues of mutual interest despite pressure by the West.

In a meeting with visiting Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Wednesday, Xi said Beijing and Moscow would continue to provide one another with "firm support on issues concerning each other's core interests and strengthen collaboration in multilateral arenas," according to a readout by the official Xinhua news agency.

Beijing and Moscow should "push cooperation in various fields to a higher level," he insisted, and should "raise the level of economic, trade and investment cooperation" between them.

In recent years, the two countries have hugely ramped up economic and diplomatic cooperation, growing closer to one another despite pressure on Beijing from the West to sever its ties with Moscow over its military operation with Ukraine.

China is Russia's largest trading partner, with trade between them reaching a record level.