Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping in Beijing today to publicly showcase the strengthening ties between the two Asian giants. The event marks Putin’s 42nd meeting with Xi. It is also his first meeting outside of Russia since his inauguration to his fifth presidential term, mirroring Xi’s journey to Russia last year following the start of his third term.

The main message of Putin’s two-day visit is that despite the West urging China to cold-shoulder Russia, the “no limits” partnership between the two nations remains robust. “The very act of receiving Putin by Beijing—on its own—is already a form of support to Russia since China is the sole major country left that has not isolated Moscow,” said James Char of Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

It is also notable that Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, both of whom were assigned to their posts in recent days, will take part in the meetings. Their participation shows that Russia’s war on Ukraine—which China has been providing invaluable support for—will be the focus of the discussions.

“China claims to be neutral, but it is actually Russia’s most significant supporter,” Finnish analyst Joni Askola wrote on X. “Without China’s support, Russia would not be able to sustain its unsuccessful invasion of Ukraine.”

Ahead of the visit, Putin praised Xi’s plan to end the war by forcing Ukraine to surrender much of its territory and population to Russia.

Beijing proposes practicable and constructive steps [that would] lay the groundwork for a political and diplomatic process that would take into account Russia’s security concerns and contribute to achieving a long-term and sustainable peace.
—Vladimir Putin

During Putin’s trip, the two sides are expected to sign numerous trade deals and discuss new ways for China to assist Russia’s war effort. China’s ongoing support for Russia’s war has taken some onlookers by surprise. But it aligns with an outcome that Bible prophecy warns us about.

Revelation 16:12 foretells of a multinational Asian alliance that will take shape in the modern era, called “the kings of the east.” The Scriptures provide many details about this massive Oriental bloc, including that it will field an army of an unprecedented 200 million men and will play a major role in nuclear World War iii (Revelation 9:16; Matthew 24:21-22; Daniel 11:44-45; 12:1).

Based on Ezekiel 38 and 39, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has said that Russia will be the lead nation of this alliance, with China as its chief partner, and that the two are already fulfilling the early stages of these prophecies. In 2014, after China publicly supported Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, Mr. Flurry called it “a stunning fulfillment of a biblical prophecy!”

He wrote: “Actually we have been proclaiming for over 50 years that Russia, China and other Asian nations would ally themselves in the end time. And we are in that end time now.”

After Russia expanded the war into a full-scale invasion in 2022 and Xi’s China maintained his support for Russia, Mr. Flurry wrote: “When nuclear-armed powers show such solidarity in wartime, what does this mean for the world? I tell you, it is woe to the world! … This crisis is far from over.”

To understand more about the Bible’s teachings on the Russia-China alliance and its role in end-time affairs, order your free copy of Russia and China in Prophecy.