chinese new year eve essay

• Immersion Program
• Learn Chinese Online
• Study Abroad in China
• Custom Travel Programs
• Teach in China
• What is CLI?
• Testimonials
• The CLI Center
• Photo Gallery

A Brief Guide to the Chinese New Year (春节 Chūnjié)

Learn Chinese in China or on Zoom and gain fluency in Chinese!

Join CLI and learn Chinese with your personal team of Mandarin teachers online or in person at the CLI Center in Guilin , China.

Perhaps the most important of all Chinese holidays , the Chinese New Year is celebrated worldwide each January or February in places like Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Mainland China.

Also called the Spring Festival (春节 Chūnjié), the Chinese New Year celebrates the beginning of the Chinese year based on the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar and officially ends 14 days later with the Lantern Festival .

Table of Contents

How is Chinese New Year celebrated?

1. steamed fish | 蒸鱼 | zhēng yú, 2. new year cake | 年糕 | niángāo, 3. spring rolls | 春卷 | chūnjuǎn, 4. fruits | 水果 | shuǐguǒ, 5. dumplings | 饺子 | jiǎozi, 6. “longevity noodles” | 长寿面 | chángshòumiàn, 7. tangyuan | 汤圆 | tāngyuán, 1. 新年快乐 (xīnnián kuàilè) - happy new year, 2. 恭喜发财 (gōngxǐfācái) - may you have a prosperous year, 兔年大吉 (tùnián dàjí) - happy year of the rabbit (2023), 4. 岁岁平安 (suìsuì píng'ān) - may you have peace year after year, 5. 万事如意 (wànshìrúyì) - may all your hopes be fulfilled, 1. no cleaning, 2. no wearing black or white, 3. no cutting hair, 4. no breaking things, why is it called the “lunar” new year, chinese zodiac animal signs, the chinese new year through a local's eyes, chinese vocabulary for the spring festival, join a spring festival celebration and practice your chinese.

Learn Chinese with CLI

Spring Festival is a time for families to come together, exchange money-filled red envelopes (红包, hóngbāo) , and enjoy delicious Chinese food.

The Chinese New Year is a 15-day holiday and includes a variety of festivities depending on the region and its local traditions and customs. However, certain common customs are shared regardless of region.

For example, it is common practice to decorate one’s home with Chinese lanterns . In many homes, you will find auspicious Chinese characters and couplets on red paper stuck on doors. Red is an auspicious color as it scares away the Nian monster . Wearing new clothes is also a common tradition to ward off bad luck—a new year is a time for newness after all!

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Chinese Language Institute (@studycli)

The Chinese New Year is an important time to 拜年 (bàinián, to pay a new year call), so it is common practice to visit relatives and exchange auspicious greetings and Chinese gifts , including the ever-popular lucky red envelopes filled with Chinese currency . Devoted Buddhist and Daoist practitioners also often visit local temples to welcome the new year.

The holiday has even had an influence on the traditional festivals of other cultures with whom the Chinese have historically interacted, including the Koreans, Vietnamese, Mongolians, and Japanese.

What foods are eaten during Chinese New Year?

Family is of central importance in traditional Chinese culture, and Spring Festival is generally a very family-oriented holiday.

The New Year’s Eve dinner (年夜饭 niányèfàn) kick starts the tradition of family reunions. In fact, the Chinese Spring Festival also marks the world’s largest human migration, as overseas Chinese and Chinese migrant laborers return home to celebrate the advent of the new year alongside their families.

Though traditions can vary between northern and southern China, here are a few examples of common “auspicious foods” presented at reunion dinners:

As you may already know, the Chinese language includes many homophones (同音词 tóngyīncí), which results in many characters and words having the same pronunciation as one another.

In this instance, “fish” (鱼 yú) has the same pronunciation as “surplus” (余 yú). There is also a typical New Year greeting, 年年有余 (niánnián yǒuyú), which translates to “may you have a surplus (of blessings) every year”. Therefore, eating fish symbolizes an increase in prosperity.

Sticky rice cakes symbolize a prosperous year to come, as “cake” (糕 gāo) has the same pronunciation as “high/lofty” (高 gāo). This coincides with the greeting 年年高升 (niánniángāoshēng; “advance year after year”). Rice cakes are a must during Chinese New Year festivities!

How can you start spring without spring rolls? This delicacy was originally a seasonal food that was consumed only during the spring. Eating spring rolls is a way to welcome the arrival of spring, and their golden color also symbolizes wealth and prosperity.

Fruits are commonly enjoyed as desserts and snacks during Spring Festival celebrations. They symbolize life and new beginnings and are also a common new year gift.

Due to their resemblance to imperial coins (元宝 yuánbǎo), dumplings are representative of wealth and fortune.

“Longevity noodles” are a kind of flat Cantonese egg noodles which are usually consumed during special occasions (such as the Chinese New Year and birthdays).

As their name indicates, their long strings represent longevity and living to a ripe old age. The trick is to eat them in a single mouthful and not cut the noodles short!

The fifteenth and final day of the new year holiday is celebrated by the Lantern Festival (元宵节 Yuánxiāojié). During this time, it is common to eat a Chinese dessert called tāngyuán (汤圆), which consists of sweet glutinous rice balls filled with a variety of fillings such as sesame, peanut, and red bean paste. Their round shapes represent togetherness and reunion.

How to Say Happy New Year in Chinese

Would you like to wish a friend, colleague, or loved one Happy New Year in Chinese? Read on to learn this festive phrase and more!

Cultural note: In China, people often hold a fist salute or 抱拳礼 (bàoquánlǐ) when saying the below greetings. Remember that this method of greeting is mainly used during formal occasions, so we suggest to avoid using it during informal encounters!

Saying “Xīnnián Kuàilè” is the simplest and most straightforward way to wish your Chinese friends, family and colleagues a happy new year. Want to know how to pronounce it? Just watch the following video and repeat!

In addition to 新年快乐 (Xīnnián Kuàilè), this is probably the most popular saying you'll hear around the Chinese New Year. It has been the center of many 贺年歌曲 (hènián gēqǔ, Chinese New Year songs) and literally means “congratulations, make a fortune!”

Learn to sing along to the famous Chinese New Year song “恭喜” (gōngxǐ) in the following video.

大吉 (dàjí) is a noun meaning very auspicious or lucky. You can put any given year's zodiac animal year before 大吉 and use it as a general new year greeting. You can also simply say 大吉大利 (dàjídàlì), which means “good luck and great prosperity.”

To learn how to say other year-specific Spring Festival greetings, see the Spring Festival Chinese Vocabulary List toward the bottom of this article.

A fun things aspect of Chinese is wordplay based on 同音词 (tóngyīncí, homophones). A great example of this is 岁岁平安. Breaking things during the Chinese new year is a taboo in China as it is believed to bring bad luck resulting in money loss and a family split in the future.

If something does break, you can say “碎碎平安” (suìsuìpíngān) which sounds exactly the same as “岁岁平安” (suìsuìpíngān) . “碎” means to break, whereas “岁” means age or year and is the character used in 岁岁平安. This is a very clever way to negate all that bad luck!

万 literally means “ten thousand” or “a great number.” When you say 万事如意 to your Chinese friends, you are literally wishing that all matters (万事, ten thousand matters/affairs) be according to his/her wishes (如意)。

What are some taboos during Spring Festival?

All auspicious things aside, there are certain taboos that must be avoided during Chinese New Year:

Any type of “spring cleaning” must take place before the new year and never during the actual holiday. This allows the cleaned space to be filled with the new blessings and fortunes of the new year. Cleaning during the holiday consequently means that you are getting rid of these new fortunes!

In Chinese color symbolism, black signifies evil and white is the color of death and used for funerals. Instead, auspicious colors such as red and gold are often worn during the new year.

发 fā (hair) is also the character and sound for 发财 fā cái (to get rich), so cutting hair signifies a loss of fortune.

碎 suì means to break, whereas 岁 suì means age or year. If something does break, you can say “碎碎平安” (suì suì píng ān) which sounds exactly the same as “岁岁平安” (“may you have peace year after year”).

The term “lunar” is an English adaptation, mainly because the holiday starts with the new moon, ends with the full moon 14 days later, and is thus based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar . The name of the holiday in Chinese, 春节 Chūnjié, literally translates to “Spring Festival”.

The Chinese New Year is also a time when the annual zodiac sign changes, meaning that each year is assigned to a specific zodiac animal. Zodiac signs play an integral role in Chinese culture. It is said that your luck regarding financial situations, health and relationships for each year can be calculated based on your zodiac sign.

To ask your Chinese friends and colleagues what their zodiac animal is, just say "你属什么？ (nǐ shǔ shénme?)". 属 shǔ can mean “to belong to” or “to be born in the year of". In China, it is common to be asked how old you are or what your 生肖 (shēngxiào, Chinese zodiac sign) is.

In response, you can say: 我属 (wǒ shǔ) + insert animal. For example: “我属牛” (Wǒ shǔ niú, I was born in the Year of the Ox ). Consult CLI's article on the 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals for an in-depth look at this cultural phenomena and to find out what your own zodiac sign is!

In our Spring Festival video, we invite you to peer into the life of a Guilin resident who walked the same arduous path traveled by so many in China from poverty to prosperity. Join Dayong, a CLI team member since 2009, as he converses with Uncle Ye (叶叔叔, Yè Shūshu) about how his quality of life has changed for the better over the decades.

While watching the video, follow along in this downloadable Chinese-English transcript for the Chinese characters, Chinese pinyin , and English translation.

We hope this article helped you learn more about the Chinese New Year! It is truly a fun and festive holiday that is celebrated all across the world. Spring Festival is a time for family reunions, showing appreciation for one’s friends, and delicious feasts.

If you are in China during Spring Festival, we hope you'll get to experience this important holiday for yourself by participating in some Chinese New Year activities with friends or colleagues. Keep in mind that many people will be traveling back and forth during this period as part of the famous Spring Festival travel rush (春运 chūnyùn). If you do plan to go anywhere during this period, especially by train , make sure to buy your tickets far in advance.

If you aren't in China, we encourage you to seek out your local Chinese community, attend holiday events, and even volunteer to help prepare for the Chinese New Year festivities. This is a great way to learn more about Chinese culture and to immerse yourself in the Chinese language .

And now that you know some Chinese New Year greetings, it is time to put them to use! On behalf of the CLI team, we wish you a wonderful Chinese New Year and welcome you to learn Chinese in China . 祝大新年快乐，身体健康，万事如意 ！

Free 30-minute Trial Lesson

Continue exploring.

• Chinese Holidays

Copyright 2024  |  Terms & Conditions   |  FAQ   |  Learn Chinese in China

• History Classics
• Your Profile
• Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window)
• This Day In History
• History Podcasts
• History Vault

Lunar New Year 2024

By: History.com Editors

Updated: February 9, 2024 | Original: February 4, 2010

Lunar New Year is one of the most important celebrations of the year among East and Southeast Asian cultures, including Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean communities, among others. The New Year celebration is celebrated for multiple days—not just one day as in the Gregorian calendar’s New Year.

This Lunar New Year, which begins on February 10, is the Year of the Dragon.

China’s Lunar New Year is known as the Spring Festival or Chūnjié in Mandarin, while Koreans call it Seollal and Vietnamese refer to it as Tết .

Tied to the lunar calendar, the holiday began as a time for feasting and to honor household and heavenly deities, as well as ancestors. The New Year typically begins with the first new moon that occurs between the end of January and spans the first 15 days of the first month of the lunar calendar—until the full moon arrives.

Zodiac Animals

Each year in the Lunar calendar is represented by one of 12 zodiac animals included in the cycle of 12 stations or “signs” along the apparent path of the sun through the cosmos. 

The 12 zodiac animals are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. In addition to the animals, five elements of earth, water, fire, wood and metal are also mapped onto the traditional lunar calendar. Each year is associated with an animal that corresponds to an element.

The year 2024 is slated to be the year of the dragon—an auspicious symbol of power, wisdom and good fortune. The year of the dragon last came up in 2012.

Lunar New Year Foods and Traditions

Each culture celebrates the Lunar New Year differently with various foods and traditions that symbolize prosperity, abundance and togetherness. In preparation for the Lunar New Year, houses are thoroughly cleaned to rid them of inauspicious spirits, which might have collected during the old year. Cleaning is also meant to open space for good will and good luck.

Some households hold rituals to offer food and paper icons to ancestors. Others post red paper and banners inscribed with calligraphy messages of good health and fortune in front of, and inside, homes. Elders give out envelopes containing money to children. Foods made from glutinous rice are commonly eaten, as these foods represent togetherness. Other foods symbolize prosperity, abundance and good luck.

Chinese New Year is thought to date back to the Shang Dynasty in the 14th century B.C. Under Emperor Wu of Han (140–87 B.C.), the tradition of carrying out rituals on the first day of the Chinese calendar year began. 

“This holiday has ancient roots in China as an agricultural society. It was the occasion to celebrate the harvest and worship the gods and ask for good harvests in times to come," explains Yong Chen, a scholar in Asian American Studies. 

During the Cultural Revolution in 1967, official Chinese New Year celebrations were banned in China. But Chinese leaders became more willing to accept the tradition. In 1996, China instituted a weeklong vacation during the holiday—now officially called Spring Festival—giving people the opportunity to travel home and to celebrate the new year. 

Did you know? San Francisco, California, claims its Chinese New Year parade is the biggest celebration of its kind outside of Asia. The city has hosted a Chinese New Year celebration since the Gold Rush era of the 1860s, a period of large-scale Chinese immigration to the region.

Today, the holiday prompts major travel as hundreds of millions hit the roads or take public transportation to return home to be with family.

Among Chinese cultures, fish is typically included as a last course of a New Year’s Eve meal for good luck. In the Chinese language, the pronunciation of “fish” is the same as that for the word “surplus” or “abundance.” Chinese New Year’s meals also feature foods like glutinous rice ball soup, moon-shaped rice cakes (New Year’s cake) and dumplings ( Jiǎozi in Mandarin). Sometimes, a clean coin is tucked inside a dumpling for good luck.

The holiday concludes with the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated on the last day of New Year's festivities. Parades, dances, games and fireworks mark the finale of the holiday.

In Vietnamese celebrations of the holiday, homes are decorated with kumquat trees and flowers such as peach blossoms, chrysanthemums, orchids and red gladiolas. As in China, travel is heavy during the holiday as family members gather to mark the new year.

Families feast on five-fruit platters to honor their ancestors. Tết celebrations can also include bánh chưng , a rice cake made with mung beans, pork, and other ingredients wrapped in bamboo leaves. Snacks called  mứt tết   are commonly offered to guests. These sweet bites are made from dried fruits or roasted seeds mixed with sugar.

In Korea, official Lunar New Year celebrations were halted from 1910-1945. This was when the Empire of Japan annexed Korea and ruled it as a colony until the end of World War II . Celebrations of Seollal were officially revived in 1989, although many families had already begun observing the lunar holiday. North Korea began celebrating the Lunar New Year according to the lunar calendar in 2003. Before then, New Year's was officially only observed on January 1. North Koreans are also encouraged to visit statues of founder Kim Il Sung, and his son Kim Jong Il, during the holidays and provide an offering of flowers.

Among both North and South Koreans, sliced rice cake soup ( tteokguk ) is prepared to mark the Lunar New Year holiday. The clear broth and white rice cakes of tteokguk are believed to symbolize starting the year with a clean mind and body. Rather than giving money in red envelopes, as in China and Vietnam, elders give New Year's money in white and patterned envelopes.

Traditionally, families gather from all over Korea at the house of their oldest male relative to pay their respects to both ancestors and elders. Travel is less common in North Korea and families tend to mark the holiday at home. 

Lunar New Year Greetings

Cultures celebrating Lunar New Year have different ways of greeting each other during the holiday. In Mandarin, a common way to wish family and close friends a happy New Year is “ Xīnnián hǎo ,” meaning “New Year Goodness” or “Good New Year.” Another greeting is “ Xīnnián kuàilè, ” meaning "Happy New Year."

Traditional greetings during Tết in Vietnam are “Chúc Mừng Năm Mới” (Happy New Year) and “Cung Chúc Tân Xuân” (gracious wishes of the new spring). For Seollal, South Koreans commonly say "Saehae bok mani badeuseyo” (May you receive lots of luck in the new year), while North Koreans say "Saehaereul chuckhahabnida” (Congratulations on the new year).

— huiying b. chan , Research and Policy Analyst on the Education Justice Research and Organizing Collaborative team at the New York University Metro Center, edited this report.

"Lunar New Year origins, customs explained," by Laura Rico,  University of California, Irvine , February 19, 2015.

"Everything you need to know about Vietnamese Tết," Vietnam Insider , December 3, 2020.

"Seollal, Korean Lunar New Year," by Brendan Pickering,  Asia Society . 

"The Origin of Chinese New Year," by Haiwang Yuan, Western Kentucky University TopSCHOLAR , February 1, 2016.

"The Lunar New Year: Rituals and Legends," Asia for Educators .

Sign up for Inside History

Get HISTORY’s most fascinating stories delivered to your inbox three times a week.

By submitting your information, you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Networks. You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States.

More details : Privacy Notice | Terms of Use | Contact Us

The Origin and History of Chinese New Year: When Start and Why

Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, is the most important among the traditional Chinese festivals. The origin of the Chinese New Year Festival can be traced back to about 3,500 years ago . Chinese New Year has evolved over a long period of time and its customs have undergone a long development process.

A Legend of the Origin of Chinese New Year

Like all traditional festivals in China, Chinese New Year is steeped with stories and myths. One of the most popular is about the mythical beast Nian (/nyen/), who ate livestock, crops, and even people on the eve of a new year. (It's interesting that Nian, the 'yearly beast', sounds the same as 'year' in Chinese.) To prevent Nian from attacking people and causing destruction, people put food at their doors for Nian.

It's said that a wise old man figured out that Nian was scared of loud noises (firecrackers) and the color red. Then, people put red lanterns and red scrolls on their windows and doors to stop Nian from coming inside, and crackled bamboo (later replaced by firecrackers) to scare Nian away. The monster Nian never showed up again. Click to learn more legends about the Chinese New Year .

Chinese New Year's Origin: In the Shang Dynasty

Chinese New Year has enjoyed a history of about 3,500 years. Its exact beginning is not recorded. Some people believe that Chinese New Year originated in the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BC), when people held sacrificial ceremonies in honor of gods and ancestors at the beginning or the end of each year.

Chinese Calendar "Year" Established: In the Zhou Dynasty

The term Nian ('year') first appeared in the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BC). It had become a custom to offer sacrifices to ancestors or gods, and to worship nature in order to bless harvests at the turn of the year.

Chinese New Year Date Was Fixed: In the Han Dynasty

The date of the festival, the first day of the first month in the Chinese lunar calendar, was fixed in the Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD). Certain celebration activities became popular, such as burning bamboo to make a loud cracking sound. See when Chinese New Year is and how the date is determined .

In the Wei and Jin Dynasties

In the Wei and Jin dynasties (220–420), apart from worshiping gods and ancestors, people began to entertain themselves. The customs of a family getting together to clean their house, having dinner, and staying up late on New Year's Eve originated among common people.

More Chinese New Year Activities: From the Tang to Qing Dynasties

The prosperity of economies and cultures during the Tang , Song , and Qing dynasties accelerated the development of the Spring Festival. The customs during the festival became similar to those of modern times.

Setting off firecrackers, visiting relatives and friends, and eating dumplings became important parts of the celebration.

More entertaining activities arose , such as watching dragon and lion dances during the Temple Fair and enjoying lantern shows.

The function of the Spring Festival changed from a religious one to entertaining and social ones, more like that of today.

In Modern Times

In 1912, the government decided to abolish Chinese New Year and the lunar calendar, but adopted the Gregorian calendar instead and made January 1 the official start of the new year.

After 1949, Chinese New Year was renamed to the Spring Festival . It was listed as a nationwide public holiday.

Nowadays, many traditional activities are disappearing but new trends have been generated. CCTV (China Central Television) Spring Festival Gala, shopping online, WeChat red envelopes, fireworks shows, and overseas travel make Chinese New Year more interesting and colorful.

You Might Like

• Top 3 Interesting Chinese New Year Legends/Stories
• 10 Quick Facts about Lunar New Year
• How to Celebrate Chinese New Year: Top 18 Traditions
• Chinese New Year Taboos and Superstitions: 18 Things You Should Not Do
• 11-Day China Classic Tour
• 3-Week Must-See Places China Tour Including Holy Tibet
• 8-Day Beijing–Xi'an–Shanghai Private Tour
• How to Plan Your First Trip to China 2024/2025 — 7 Easy Steps
• 15 Best Places to Visit in China (2024)
• Best (& Worst) Times to Visit China, Travel Tips (2024/2025)
• How to Plan a 10-Day Itinerary in China (Best 5 Options)
• China Weather in January 2024: Enjoy Less-Crowded Traveling
• China Weather in March 2024: Destinations, Crowds, and Costs
• China Weather in April 2024: Where to Go (Smart Pre-Season Pick)
• China Weather in May 2024: Where to Go, Crowds, and Costs
• China Weather in June 2024: How to Benefit from the Rainy Season
• China Weather in July 2024: How to Avoid Heat and Crowds
• China Weather in August 2024: Weather Tips & Where to Go
• China Weather in September 2024: Weather Tips & Where to Go
• China Weather in October 2024: Where to Go, Crowds, and Costs
• China Weather in November 2024: Places to Go & Crowds
• China Weather in December 2024: Places to Go and Crowds

Get Inspired with Some Popular Itineraries

More travel ideas and inspiration, sign up to our newsletter.

Be the first to receive exciting updates, exclusive promotions, and valuable travel tips from our team of experts.

Why China Highlights

Where can we take you today.

• Southeast Asia
• Japan, South Korea
• India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri lanka
• Central Asia
• Middle East
• African Safari
• Travel Agents
• Loyalty & Referral Program
• Privacy Policy

Address: Building 6, Chuangyi Business Park, 70 Qilidian Road, Guilin, Guangxi, 541004, China

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Chinese New Year — The Chinese New Year ’s Eve In My Family

The Chinese New Year ’s Eve in My Family

• Categories: Chinese Culture Chinese New Year Family Values

About this sample

Words: 1153 |

Published: Jul 15, 2020

Words: 1153 | Pages: 3 | 6 min read

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

• Expert in: Arts & Culture Life

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

4 pages / 1663 words

2 pages / 1032 words

1 pages / 495 words

2 pages / 984 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Chinese New Year

Did you ever heard about the story of Nian? Nian was a very horrible monster that came out and ate people during the Chinese New Year’s Eve. This monster was afraid of red color and loud noise, so at that time people was going [...]

The ringing of children’s voices, high and clear, happy to catch up with cousins; massive tables that display myriad foods; strong, dignified corporate men whispering business in closed quarters, hoping not to get caught by [...]

Hinduism is the name given to one of the most ancient religion practices in India. Vedanta is the true name of this religion. When British rule began to populate India this ancient religion evolved into what is known today as [...]

I’m sure that (most of you) recognize this song. It is finally fall, and what does that mean? Halloween, which is my favorite time of the year. From the candy to the costumes and the ghost stories, Halloween is a day of being [...]

The difficulty for most contemporary Native American authors is how to present their work to a populace who is not entirely familiar with the modern Indian situation and lifestyle. One way that Alexie Sherman and Velma Wallis [...]

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was a committed abolitionist who viewed slavery as an abomination and the Civil War as a just cause for the Union, as long as it resulted in an end to slavery and subsequent reconciliation between the [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

Essay: Celebrating Chinese New Year Far From Home and Family

The second week of January, my friend asked if I could take a look at his book manuscript and help him edit it.

“Sure,” I replied, “but not until after New Year’s.”

“Uhhhh,” he stammered. “But it’s already after New Year’s.”

“Not that New Year’s,” I laughed. “Chinese New Year’s.”

Chinese (or Lunar) New Year is the busiest time of year for my children and me. I am often asked to give presentations about Chinese New Year’s traditions in schools and libraries. The children often perform in the community with their Chinese lion dance, music, dance, and yo-yo troupes. We all have Chinese school responsibilities and Chinese community commitments, plus all our regular school stuff and work stuff: homework, taxes, FAFSA.

I am always so focused on Chinese New Year that I often completely forget about all the other January and February holidays, like Valentine’s Day and Fat Tuesday, until the elementary school teachers send home the class lists for Valentine cards and paczkis show up in the grocery store.

And did someone say something about a football game?

We are supposed to have a big Chinese New Year’s Eve meal together, with a whole fish to represent abundance and wealth in the new year, a whole chicken to represent the whole family together, soybean sprouts to represent all that you wish for, new year’s cake to see how high fortunes will rise in the new year, eggplant for good luck, lettuce for good fortune, pork for wealth, duck for fertility…

We are often so tired, however, that we make do with the leftovers from some performance or other.

This year, we had Bengali fish curry.

We are also supposed to prepare for Lunar New Year by cleaning the entire house before New Year’s Day, sweeping the floor from the outside in, decorating the house with poems and good luck wishes written in Chinese calligraphy on red paper, buying new red clothes for all the children (who only wear black now), giving the children red envelopes of crisp new lucky money, visiting the Buddhist temple, and all sorts of good luck things to ensure a good clean start for the new year.

That has never happened on time.

OK, OK, it has never happened at all.

(There will be plenty of time to clean after the children are grown.)

When my children were little, my friend Carol lent me the definitive book about Chinese New Year. A massive book, I spent a month reading all the stories to my children. Every night, after the children fell asleep, I studied the recipes in the book and ended up in the kitchen, hungry, lonely, cooking different Chinese New Year’s recipes at midnight.

My mother scolded that I was turning my children into superstitious old ladies before they even reached elementary school. Modern and educated, my parents did not need these old world superstitions.

I did not learn about Chinese New Year’s until I was 12 years old, and I fantasized about the perfect big warm family gathering that I learned about in Chinese school. Sometimes, when the holiday fell on a weekend, I could convince my parents to invite our relatives over for hot pot. More often, my parents, busy with work and school, would forget — as if it was just another day.

I did not understand how they could forget such a thing until I grew up and worked on Christmas Day in another country that did not celebrate Christmas.

Earlier this year, I saw many of my parents’ college friends at my father’s funeral. These friends of my parents all came to America at about the same time, as international students and young professionals. I called them all "auntie" and "uncle," and they all watched me grow up. I knew their houses. I knew their kids. Other than relatives, they were the only Chinese community that we had.

It had been years since I had seen all my aunties and uncles, and being with them felt like being home. I was so proud to introduce my children to them. I asked them to tell my children funny stories about my parents in their youth, only 25 years old, newly married, young parents, navigating a new country in a new language — the first in their families to travel so far from home.

My brother, who is seven years younger than me, does not remember any of these aunties and uncles. My cousins do not know who they are. My children are curious why I am the only one who knows everyone from every phase of my parents’ lives.

"Although I am not an immigrant, I am also far from home, away from family. I am privileged to speak English fluently and to not experience the overt racism of a century ago, but I still need to create community around my children."

They were my parents’ community.

I have that sort of community now with the “Chinese school moms” and the “International Night moms” — my children’s friends’ moms with whom I have waited, worried, carpooled, complained, and volunteered together on school and community events. Our Chinese school New Year’s celebrations may not be completely traditional, but we are together.

Noticing how close Hsiang-Yi and I are, a man once asked how long we had been friends, and we laughed, “Since preschool!” What we didn’t tell him was that we meant since our kids were in preschool.

I am teaching a course on Asian-American history this semester at the university, and I am reading many first person accounts by early Asian immigrants at the turn of the century about how hard they worked, how much they suffered, and the community groups they created to overcome the challenges they faced in America.

Although I am not an immigrant, I am also far from home, away from family. I am privileged to speak English fluently and to not experience the overt racism of a century ago, but I still need to create community around my children, so grateful for the other “Chinese school moms” that help watch out for my children (and help feed my children), as we continue to navigate our lives together.

Follow NBC Asian America on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and Tumblr .

Frances Kai-Hwa Wang is a freelance writer and speaker based in Michigan and Hawaii. She has been a contributor for AAPIVoices.com, NewAmericaMedia.org, ChicagoIsTheWorld.org, PacificCitizen.org and InCultureParent.com. She teaches Asian Pacific American Studies and writing and she speaks nationally on Asian Pacific American issues.

Chinese New Year – Few lines, Short Essay and Full Essay

Essays , Festivals 0

Few lines about Chinese New Year

• Chinese new year is also known as Lunar new year
• It is a Chinese festival celebrating the beginning of a new year of the Chinese calendar.
• In mainland china, the day marks the onset of spring and is referred as the Spring Festival.
• In 2020, the Chinese New Year is celebrated on 25th January and it’s a public holiday.
• This Chinese year is called the Year of the Rat.

Brief essay on Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is a well-known Chinese festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year of the Chinese calendar. It is also known as lunar New Year or the Spring Festival as it marks the onset of spring. The first day of Chinese New Year begins on the new moon day that happens between 21 January and 20 February. In 2020 the Chinese New Year is celebrated on 25th January commencing the Year of the Rat. Chinese New Year is an important holiday in China and the festival is also celebrated worldwide in regions with significant Chinese populations.

Long Essay on Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year marks the beginning of a new year in the Chinese calendar. It is also termed as “Lunar New Year”, “Chinese New Year Festival”, and “Spring Festival”. Generally, the Chinese New Year falls on different dates every year in the Gregorian calendar. It is calculated based on the first new moon day that falls between 21th of January and 20th of February.

Chinese New Year celebrations starting from the New Year eve and ends with the Lantern festival that is held on the 15th day of the year. Chinese New Year is observed as a public holiday in china and in several countries with sizable Chinese and Korean population. It is the longest holidays in china. The holidays mark the end of the winter’s coldest days and people welcome the spring, praying to Gods for the upcoming planting and harvest season.

Different regional customs and traditions accompany the festival. Eating dumplings, Yule Log cake, tang yuan or ‘soup balls’, and red envelopes with ‘lucky’ money are part of customary celebration. According to some Myth, the Chinese New Year festival celebrates the death of a monster called Nian, which was killed by a brave boy with fire crackers on the New Year’s Eve. And that’s why firecrackers is considered the crucial part of the Spring Festival as it is believed to scare off monsters and bad luck.

This year, 2020, Chinese New Year falls on 25th of January is called the year of the Rat.

Related Worksheets and Exercises

• St Patrick’s Day Essay
• Favorite Festival – Diwali
• What is Black Friday? Why we call it Black Friday?
• Rakshabandhan 2017
• Thiruvalluvar Day
• Pongal Festival
• Happy New Year
• Guru Nanak Jayanthi
• Rakshabandhan

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Speaking of China

Building cultural bridges with love. 洋媳妇谈中国

Photo Essay: My Favorite Chinese New Year Moments

While this is the first year in many that we won’t be spending Chinese New Year with family, I still have fond memories experiencing China’s most important holiday – and I’d like to share some of those highlights through my favorite photos from Chinese New Year.

Chinese New Year Traditions

Red couplets, known as duilian in Chinese, are one of the most vibrant decorations for Chinese New Year. Here, I stand by the door of the family home adorned with red couplets just written by my father-in-law, a yearly tradition for him.

On Chinese New Year’s Eve, the family always visits ancestors’ graves — offering them dinner, incense and money for the afterlife.

On Chinese New Year’s Eve, my husband and his brother pay respects to a camphor tree that watches over the family.

The ancestors’ dinner table is always set first, complete with candles and wine, on Chinese New Year’s Eve. We will then pray to them and pay our respects.

Jun sets the firecrackers and fireworks at the gate to the family home on Chinese New Year’s Eve.

Before the ancestors table, we burn paper money to send to them in the afterlife.

On Chinese New Year’s Eve, the whole family gathers before the door to pray to the ancestors.

Here I’m carrying two festive gift boxes filled with Chinese New Year goods, also known as nianhuo . It’s customary to give gifts for the holiday.

Giving out red envelopes, known as hongbao , is also a family tradition Chinese New Year’s Eve.

Hanging red lanterns at the family home is an annual tradition to ring in the new lunar year.

The family watches the firecrackers and fireworks exploding at midnight, welcoming the new lunar year.

Jun and I greet the new lunar year dressed head to toe in our new clothing.

Chinese New Year Food

The Laba Festival (which was January 24 this year) falls on the eighth day of the final month of the lunar year and is considered the official start to the Chinese New Year season. Every year, my mother-in-law commemorates the day by dishing up the traditional laba porridge (腊八粥) for breakfast .

At my in-laws’ home, no Chinese New Year is complete without a heaping bag of dongmitang (冻米糖) sitting in the corner of our bedroom , ready for snacking at a moment’s notice. These crispy Chinese New Year treats are made from puffed rice mixed with rice syrup.

Every Chinese New Year, we always prepare savory rice turnovers known as migu in the local dialect . They’re stuffed with either veggies (salted bamboo, pickled greens and tofu) or veggies and pork.

You haven’t had tofu until you’ve tried tofu made from scratch. Here my mother-in-law is in the process of preparing homemade tofu .

Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner is the most sumptuous meal of the year, with so many dishes on the table there’s barely enough room for them.

Family at Chinese New Year

Bainian , or Chinese New Year calls, is one of the most important traditions for family, where relatives visit one another at home to send wishes for a prosperous new year. This is one of my favorite bainian memories — Jun’s grandma and grandpa, who have since passed away, happened to visit us at our home in 2014.

Jun’s grandma was actually one of my favorite people to see during the holidays. Here, she and I spend time in front of the family home.

Toasting family at the table is an important ritual during Chinese New Year. Here, I’m attending the first dinner of the year at an aunt’s home — she never fails to make a scrumptious tofu dish and some of the best kimchi I’ve ever tasted.

During Chinese New Year, we also travel to other relatives’ homes to dine and socialize. Here I sit with family before an aunt and uncle’s home, where we are having lunch.

I especially love when family come together to prepare food. Here relatives sit around the table making those savory turnovers.

But most of all, it’s a pleasure to spend Chinese New Year’s Eve together with family at the dinner table.

Wherever you are in the world, here’s wishing you an auspicious Year of the Dog filled with great fortune and blessings.

4 Replies to “Photo Essay: My Favorite Chinese New Year Moments”

Dear Jocelyn, Thank you for continuing this column. I love seeing scenes of family life in China-they make me so comforted and happy to see how people live and appreciate each other.

BTW- engineers in my continuing ed class in Xi’an asked if Western women were attracted to Chinese men. I laughed and said of course many of us are. The REAL question for them is ARE YOU attracted to us?!

Hi Meghan, thank you for the comment and for reading! Cute about the engineers in your class — and true, it’s a good question to them!

I love these photos! They make me miss China a lot. I like to see your husband’s family still carrying on such strong Chinese traditions (I was really touched by the camphor tree photo… speaks volumes about how much we value our home and family).

Happy year of the dog to you 🙂 I guess you’re spending it in Beijing? In America it feels like any other day. I don’t miss the holiday crowds of Chinese New Year, but I miss the atmosphere.

Hey Mary, thank you so much for the comment and glad you enjoyed the photos! Yes, it is nice his family still continues these traditions — though sadly, that camphor tree was bulldozed away. 🙁

Happy Year of the Dog to you too! Indeed you do miss the atmosphere when you’re not in China — but the crowds are something you’ll never miss!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign me up for the newsletter and new post updates!

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Privacy Overview

• TOP CATEGORIES
• AS and A Level
• University Degree
• International Baccalaureate
• Uncategorised
• 5 Star Essays
• Study Tools
• Study Guides
• Meet the Team
• English Language
• Writing to Inform, Explain and Describe

Chinese New Year

Perlie Mong

Chinese New Year is the most important festival in the Chinese culture. It is a time when families and friends visit each other and exchange presents. People who live far away from their families will also go back, as it is a festival of family reunion.

In my family, the preparation for the New Year starts approximately a month before the New Year day, seeing that we need to clean their houses thoroughly, which symbolises the removal of the bad luck in the preceding year; decorate our houses with red objects, a colour often associated with good luck, wealth and longevity in Chinese culture. My parents also buy me new outfits, so as to make sure that I look lovely and presentable when visiting friends and families. They also indulge me with an almost unlimited access to sweets and confectioneries as it symbolises a sweet year ahead; therefore it explains why it is my favourite festival! My grandparents are even busier, as they need to organise the New Year’s Eve Supper. Traditionally, the Grandmother prepares the meal with the help of other female family members. However, since most of my uncles and aunts are scattered around the globe, my grandmother has to prepare it alone. It is not an easy task as some dishes of the New Year Eve’s Supper need days or even weeks of preparation!

This is a preview of the whole essay

On New Year’s Eve, the streets are adorned with red ribbons folded into flowers, red fairy lights and banners made from red and gold paper with messages of good luck written on them. The city is fluid in the vibrant and jubilant atmosphere. Couples stroll down the streets, laughing and whispering to each other; children run around with blushed cheeks, grinning with widened eyes when they see a piece of unusual decoration; the elderly smile contentedly on their wheelchairs pushed by their sons or daughters. People greet and bless one another even though they do not know each other. It is a day when all indifference and suspicion is replaced by friendliness and goodwill.

The highlight of the day is almost certainly the Dragon Dance and the fireworks. The Dragon Dance is a traditional Chinese dance, which involves a dozen or so performers holding the ‘dragon’ up on poles, raising and lowering the ‘dragon’ in an undulating manner, accopanied by Chinese folk instruments such as drums and gongs. It is believed that the Dragon Dance performed on New Year's Eve scares away the evil spirits and all the bad luck. My grandfather always tells us tales of the dragon on our way back home. Curiously, I still find them interesting even though I have heard the stories for numerous times. In the evening, there is an official firework display in most parts of China. It is not long after the display starts when the night sky is embellished with twinkling flowers and stars of myriad colours, with every new one brighter and more magnificent than the previous one, accompanied by the exclamations of the gathering crowd and the snaps of cameras.

The day always ends with a large, traditional family meal when family members from all over the world come together. All the best food and wine are served along special festive food such as sticky rice pudding and steamed dumplings. Because everyone of the family is present, it provides a rare chance for family members to enquire after each other, especially those who live far away. I can also play with my young relatives whom I seldom see. Moreover, adults hand out red packets which contain money to children at the end of the meal, as a form of blessing and treat.

The New Year’s Day marks the beginning of the fifteen-day celebration. In the fifteen days, my family visits friends and families and sometimes worship Gods and ancestors in the temples, praying for good luck in the coming year. The next highlight is the Lantern Festival which falls on the last day of the Chinese New Year celebrations. It is the Chinese version of the Valentine’s Day. On this day, hundreds of thousands of lanterns, often with complex, sophisticated designs, would be hung around the streets for people, especially the couples to appreciate. It is a breathtaking sight as the whole city is lit by the kaleidoscopic lanterns. Romantic riddles with solutions are often written on a piece of paper and hung from the lanterns, which aim to amuse the couples. At night, young couples eat small glutinous rice balls called yuanxiao which symbolises harmony, union and happiness while gazing up the liquid, silvery full moon in the quiescent sky, whispering words of love and retelling ancient romantic stories of the gods and goddesses.

By the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations, we are all happy, refreshed and ready to face the challenges of the coming year. Even though the celebrations have ended, the joyous and harmonious ambience continue to linger for a period of time.

Word Count: 825

Document Details

• Author Type Student
• Word Count 826
• Page Count 2
• Subject English
• Type of work Coursework

Related Essays

Chinese Culture

Each year my family and I go on holiday and this year we decided to go to N...

The Assassin Five...Four...Three...Two...One...Happy New Year!!! Cheeri...

A New Journey.

Feature: Chinese New Year's celebration warms snowy Moscow

The Lion Dance, a traditional Chinese art performance at festivities, is seen on February 8, 2018 at the opening ceremony of a 20-day celebration for the Chinese New Year at the GUM State Department Store in Moscow, Russia. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

by Xinhua writer Liao Bingqing

MOSCOW, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Lanterns, red envelopes, the Friendlies, decorations to mark the incoming Year of the Dog ... These can be found as far away from China as Moscow. Despite freezing temperatures, the warm festive atmosphere of the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year has spread to the snowy Russian capital.

Containing these classic elements in Chinese culture, a series of eye-catching pop art structures are displayed in downtown Moscow's iconic GUM State Department Store next to the Red Square. The shopping center is jointly holding with the China Cultural Center in Moscow a spectacular 20-day theme event featuring the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival.

"We held many consultations on how to celebrate the Chinese New Year. We tried not to use traditional Chinese red lanterns, but nevertheless, we turned to history and tried to make a connection between Chinese traditions, Chinese art and modern China," GUM's managing director Teimuraz Guguberidze told Xinhua.

Designed by a talented Chinese contemporary artist, the art installation unites cultural elements of China and Russia, such as China's Friendlies dolls and Russia's Matryoshka dolls as well as China's "blessed eggs" and Russia's Faberge eggs, marking the occasion of the festival with rich visual effects.

"The Spring Festival is perfect when it's snowing outside. We gladly used the bright colorful decorations of Jackie Tsai to create a special atmosphere," said Guguberidze.

In such a joyful setting, a number of traditional Chinese art performances including the Dragon Dance, the Yangko Dance and the Change of Masks stunt, as well as the Chinese embroidery exhibition "The Great Silk Road" and the art of Chinese tea tasting are presented to customers both at home and abroad.

China's modern culture is also highlighted, with the program including food by a three-Michelin star chef, the photo exhibition "Contemporary China: 100 New Places to See" and the screening of classic Chinese movies.

"We see how progressive and fashionable China is today, and this is how we want to portray China to tourists," said Guguberidze.

The GUM event is part of the "Joyful Spring Festival" celebrations sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Culture, which started in 2001, with the aim of popularizing Chinese culture among people across the world.

Gong Jiajia, cultural attache at the Chinese Embassy in Russia and director of the China Cultural Center in Moscow, said that the GUM event is a manifestation of "high-level cultural exchanges" between the two countries and that Chinese people are happy to show their Russian friends the beauty of the most important festival of the year in China.

"Many Russians still have limited understanding of China and I believe the GUM event will certainly make them interested in China's rich cultural heritage... I hope this wonderful initiative is not limited to this year and will turn into an annual event celebrated together by Muscovites and tourists for the Chinese New Year," said Kirill, a 30-year-old local citizen who lives in northern Moscow.

It is also a sign of how much Russia values Chinese customers. With more and more people spending the New Year holiday abroad with family and friends, Russia, especially Moscow, has quickly become one of the most popular travel destinations for Chinese tourists, which features great growth potential for Russian businesses.

Statistics of the Russian Federal Tourism Agency showed that a total of 1.5 million Chinese tourists visited Russia in 2017. According to GUM's estimates, about 400,000 of them have visited the department store, accounting for about 10 percent of all purchases, and the numbers are still growing.

Substantial business opportunities are also seen in Moscow's hotels and catering services during the festival. With dozens of Chinese restaurants all over the city, it is not difficult for Chinese tourists to treat themselves to a decent traditional family dinner on New Year's Eve. Those who are adventurous can go and try Russian cuisine.

Now Russia is trying every means to cater to the "VIPs" from China. In order to promote sales during the Chinese New Year holidays, major shopping centers in Moscow are providing special discounts and offers, in addition to the exemption of value added tax for foreigners.

Some stores like GUM have also intensified their customer service in the Chinese language to "ensure the comfortable stay of Chinese tourists."

"We invite our Chinese partners to train our staff and teach the basics of the Chinese culture and traditions in order to make it easier for them to establish communication with Chinese tourists. This is not an easy task. We plan to keep doing this in the future," said Guguberidze.

Copyright © 2000 - 2016 XINHUANET.com

All Rights Reserved.

BEIJING - To welcome the Year of the Dragon, a wave of festive celebrations sweeps across the globe, with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds joining in to experience the rich tapestry of Chinese Lunar New Year traditions.

Numerous iconic landmarks, from the Empire State Building in New York to the London Eye, Tokyo Tower and the Sydney Opera House, have been illuminated in vibrant red hues and decorated with Chinese elements, creating a cheerful festival ambiance to welcome the Year of the Dragon.

The Empire State Building has shined red for the 24th consecutive year. "It's an annual tradition at the Empire State Building to celebrate the Lunar New Year in the heart of New York City. Our iconic Fifth Avenue lobby windows will feature a festive art installation to honor this year's animal, the dragon," said Christina Chiu, executive vice-president, chief operating officer and chief financial officer for the Empire State Realty Trust.

On Feb 4, the Chinese community in France took center stage on the iconic Avenue des Champs-Elysees in Paris, hosting a series of vibrant performances to herald the arrival of the Year of the Dragon

Various entertaining and cultural events were organized in France, Slovakia, Nigeria, Rwanda, the Central African Republic and elsewhere.

On Feb 4, the Chinese community in France took center stage on the iconic Avenue des Champs-Elysees in Paris, hosting a series of vibrant performances to herald the arrival of the Year of the Dragon. The traditional dragon and lion dances, fish lanterns and Hanfu performances attracted over 50,000 people.

"Magnificent event. It's the first time I've seen an event like this. It feels good to see colorful events like this from another culture," attendee Jean-Baptiste told Xinhua, adding that the Chinese New Year can "touch everyone."

ALSO READ: Chinese embrace Year of the Dragon with aspiration, vitality

In celebration of the traditional Chinese New Year, a concert was held on the same day in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Musicians from the Chinese Chamber Orchestra of Zhejiang Conservatory of Music presented a performance featuring traditional Chinese music.

Addressing the event, Marek Estok, the country's state secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, said that the concert "takes us through Chinese melodies into Chinese history and unique culture which has positively influenced and enriched mankind for thousands of years with its precious philosophy, literature and architecture."

The Chinese community in Nigeria held a carnival celebration featuring all kinds of Chinese folk art in the country's capital of Abuja on Feb 3.

ALSO READ: China records nearly 5b domestic trips in 2023

Hailing the festive atmosphere as "electrifying," Adeshina Adegboye, a Nigerian mechanical engineer who attended the event for the first time, said, "As you can see, this celebration clearly shows the shared joy of the Chinese and their Nigerian friends."

Confucius Institutes in Rwanda and the Central African Republic held colorful activities to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Students learning the Chinese language at the Confucius Institute of the University of Rwanda engaged in various activities, including a lecture introducing the Spring Festival, paper cutting, and writing Chinese characters symbolizing luck and happiness.

With the dragon symbolizing wisdom and strength, Daguia Clotaire, Central African Director of Confucius Institute of the University of Bangui, said, "That's exactly what the Chinese people are doing, working hard to develop their country."

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

China and Russia reaffirm their close ties as Moscow presses its offensive in Ukraine

China’s leader Xi Jinping has welcomed Russia’s President Vladimir Putin at an official ceremony Thursday on his state visit to China. Putin’s visit comes as Russia has become more economically dependent on China following Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine more than two years ago.

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude to Xi Jinping for China’s initiatives to resolve the Ukraine conflict at their Beijing summit Thursday where the Chinese leader said China hopes Europe will return to peace and stability soon and that China will play a constructive role.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has landed in Beijing as part of a two-day state visit to China. Putin’s visit comes as Russia has become more economically dependent on China following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago. (AP Production Tracy Brown)

Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, in which he stressed the two countries’ strong relations.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin landed on Thursday in Beijing for a two-day state visit to China. The Kremlin said this will be Putin’s first foreign trip since he was sworn in as president and began his fifth term in office.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin look toward each other as they shake hands prior to their talks in Beijing, China, on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

• Copy Link copied

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin review the honor guard during an official welcome ceremony in Beijing, China, Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a concert marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China and opening of China-Russia Years of Culture at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, China, on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Sergei Guneyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during their meeting in Beijing, China, on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a wreath laying ceremony at the Monument to the People’s Heroes in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, center right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin walk during an official welcome ceremony in Beijing, China, on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin walk during an official welcome ceremony in Beijing, China, on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose for a photo prior to their talks in Beijing, China, on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Sergei Guneyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend an official welcome ceremony in Beijing, China, on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, walk during an official welcome ceremony in Beijing, China, on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, foreground right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, foreground left, walk past members of Russian cabinet during an official welcome ceremony in Beijing, China, on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin review the honor guard during an official welcome ceremony in Beijing, China, Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, attends a wreath laying ceremony at the Monument to the People’s Heroes in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

BEIJING (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday reaffirmed their “no-limits” partnership that has deepened as both countries face rising tensions with the West, and they criticized U.S. military alliances in Asia and the Pacific region.

At their summit in Beijing, Putin thanked Xi for China’s proposals for ending the war in Ukraine , which have been rejected by Ukraine and its Western supporters as largely following the Kremlin’s line.

Putin’s two-day state visit to one of his strongest allies and trading partners comes as Russian forces are pressing an offensive in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region in the most significant border incursion since the full-scale invasion began on Feb. 24, 2022.

China claims to take a neutral position in the conflict, but it has backed the Kremlin’s contentions that Russia was provoked into attacking Ukraine by the West, and it continues to supply key components needed by Moscow for weapons production.

China, which hasn’t criticized the invasion, proposed a broadly worded peace plan in 2023, calling for a cease-fire and for direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv. The plan was rejected by both Ukraine and the West for failing to call for Russia to leave occupied parts of Ukraine.

AP AUDIO: China and Russia reaffirm their close ties as Moscow presses its offensive in Ukraine

AP correspondent Karen Chammas reports on a summit between the leaders of China and Russia.

China also gave a rhetorical nod to Russia’s narrative about Nazism in Ukraine, with a joint statement Thursday that said Moscow and Beijing should defend the post-World War II order and “severely condemn the glorification of or even attempts to revive Nazism and militarism.”

Putin has cited the “denazification” of Ukraine as a main goal of the military action, falsely describing the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust, as neo-Nazis.

The largely symbolic and ceremonial visit stressed partnership between two countries who both face challenges in their relationship with the U.S. and Europe.

“Both sides want to show that despite what is happening globally, despite the pressure that both sides are facing from the U.S., both sides are not about to turn their backs on each other anytime soon,” said Hoo Tiang Boon, who researches Chinese foreign policy at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.

While Putin and Xi said they were seeking an end to the war, they offered no new proposals in their public remarks.

“China hopes for the early return of Europe to peace and stability and will continue to play a constructive role toward this,” Xi said in prepared remarks to media in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People. His words echoed what China said when it offered a broad plan for peace .

Earlier, Putin was welcomed in Tiananmen Square with military pomp. After a day in Beijing, the Russian leader arrived in Harbin, where he was expected to attend a number of events on Friday.

On the eve of his visit, Putin said China’s proposal could “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.”

Zelenskyy has said any negotiations must include a restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of all prisoners, a tribunal for those responsible for the aggression and security guarantees for Ukraine.

After Russia’s latest offensive in Ukraine last week, the war is in a critical stage as Ukraine’s depleted military waits for new supplies of anti-aircraft missiles and artillery shells from the United States after months of delay.

The joint statement from China and Russia also criticized U.S. foreign policy at length, hitting out at U.S.-formed alliances, which the statement called having a “Cold War mentality.”

China and Russia also accused the U.S. of deploying land-based intermediate range missile systems in the Asia-Pacific under the pretext of joint exercises with allies. They said that the U.S. actions in Asia were “changing the balance of power” and “endangering the security of all countries in the region.”

The joint statement demonstrated China’s support to Russia.

China is “falling over themselves to give Russia face and respect without saying anything specific, and without committing themselves to anything,” said Susan Thornton, a former diplomat and a senior fellow at the Paul Tsai China Center at Yale Law School.

The meeting was yet another affirmation of the friendly “no-limits” relationship China and Russia signed in 2022, just before Moscow invaded Ukraine.

Since then, Russia has become increasingly dependent economically on China as Western sanctions cut its access to much of the international trading system. China’s increased trade with Russia, totaling $240 billion last year, has helped the country mitigate some of the worst blowback from sanctions.

Moscow has diverted the bulk of its energy exports to China and relied on Chinese companies for importing high-tech components for Russian military industries to circumvent Western sanctions.

“I and President Putin agree we should actively look for convergence points of the interests of both countries, to develop each’s advantages, and deepen integration of interests, realizing each others’ achievements,” Xi said.

U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said that China can’t “have its cake and eat it too.

“You cannot want to have deepened relations with Europe … while simultaneously continuing to fuel the biggest threat to European security in a long time,” Patel said.

Xi congratulated Putin on starting his fifth term in office and celebrated the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the former Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China, which was established following a civil war in 1949. Putin has eliminated all major political opponents and faced no real challenge in the March election.

“In a famous song of that time, 75 years ago — it is still performed today — there is a phrase that has become a catchphrase: ‘Russians and Chinese are brothers forever,’” Putin said.

Russia-China military ties have strengthened during the war. They have held a series of joint war games in recent years.

China remains a major market for Russian military, while also massively expanding its domestic defensive industries, including building aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines.

Putin has previously said that Russia has been sharing highly sensitive military technologies with China that helped significantly bolster its defense capability.

Huizhong Wu reported from Bangkok. Yu Bing and Wanqing Chen in Beijing, Christopher Bodeen in Taipei, Jim Heintz and Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia, and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington contributed to this report.

• Cover Letters
• Jobs I've Applied To
• Saved Searches
• Subscriptions

Marine Corps

Coast guard.

• Space Force
• Military Podcasts
• Benefits Home
• Military Pay and Money
• Veteran Health Care
• VA eBenefits
• Veteran Job Search
• Military Skills Translator
• Upload Your Resume
• Veteran Employment Project
• Vet Friendly Employers
• Career Advice
• Military Life Home
• Military Trivia Game
• Veterans Day
• Spouse & Family
• Military History
• Discounts Home
• Featured Discounts
• Veterans Day Restaurant Discounts
• Electronics
• Join the Military Home
• Contact a Recruiter
• Military Fitness

China and Russia Reaffirm Ties as Moscow Presses Offensive in Ukraine

BEIJING — Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked Chinese leader Xi Jinping for his effort to resolve the Ukraine conflict at a Beijing summit Thursday, where the two leaders reaffirmed a “no-limits” partnership that has grown deeper as both countries face deepening tensions with the west.

Putin’s two-day state visit to one of his strongest allies comes as his country’s forces are pressing an offensive in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region in the most significant border incursion since the full-scale invasion began.

The largely symbolic visit stressed partnership between two countries who both face challenges in their relationship with the U.S. and Europe.

“Both sides want to show that despite what is happening globally, despite the pressure that both sides are facing from the U.S., both sides are not about to turn their backs on each other anytime soon,” said Hoo Tiang Boon, a professor who studies Chinese foreign policy at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.

While both leaders said they were seeking an end to the war in Ukraine, they offered no new specifics in their public remarks Thursday afternoon. China has significant influence as a key supporter of Russia its invasion.

The country claims to take a neutral position in the conflict, but it has backed Moscow’s contentions that Russia was provoked into attacking Ukraine by the West, and continues to supply Russia with key components that Moscow needs for its productions of weapons.

China proposed a broadly worded peace plan in 2023, but it was rejected by both Ukraine and the West for failing to call for Russia to leave occupied parts of Ukraine.

“China hopes for the early return of Europe to peace and stability and will continue to play a constructive role toward this,” Xi said, speaking alongside Putin.

His words were an echo of what China said last year when it first offered a broad plan for peace outlining general principles for ending the war in Ukraine.

Putin said he will inform the Chinese leader in detail about “the situation in Ukraine,” and said “we appreciate the initiative of our Chinese colleagues and friends to regulate the situation.” He added that the two planned to engage in further foreign policy discussions at an informal meeting later Thursday.

After Russia’s newest offensive in Ukraine last week, the 2-year-old war has entered a critical stage, as Ukraine’s depleted military waits for new supplies of anti-aircraft missiles and artillery shells from the United States after months of delay.

Before their remarks, the two leaders signed a joint statement on deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between their two nations on their 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties, after their initial meeting. Xi said China and Russia will continue to uphold a position of non-alliance and non-confrontation.

Thursday’s meeting was yet another affirmation of the friendly “no limits” relationship they signed in 2022, just before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Since then, Russia has become increasingly economically dependent on China as Western sanctions cut its access to much of the international trading system. China’s increased trade with Russia, totaling $240 billion last year, has helped the country mitigate some of the worst blowback from sanctions.

Moscow has diverted the bulk of its energy exports to China and relying on Chinese companies for importing high-tech components for Russian military industries to circumvent Western sanctions.

“I and President Putin agree, we should actively look for convergence points of the interests of both countries, to develop each’s advantages, and deepen integration of interests, realizing each others’ achievements,” Xi said.

In their meeting, Xi congratulated Putin on his election to a fifth term in office and celebrated the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations forged between the former Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China, which was established following a civil war in 1949. Putin faced no credible opposition in the presidential race, and, like Xi, has not laid out any plans for any potential successors.

On the eve of the visit, Putin said in an interview with Chinese media that the Kremlin is prepared to negotiate over the conflict in Ukraine. “We are open to a dialogue on Ukraine, but such negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including ours,” Putin was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.

Putin said a Chinese proposal made in 2023, which Ukraine and the West rejected, could “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.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said any negotiations must include a restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of all prisoners, a tribunal for those responsible for the aggression and security guarantees for Ukraine.

Putin has blamed the West for the failure of negotiations in the opening weeks of the war and praised China’s peace plan.

Russia-China military ties have also strengthened during the war in Ukraine. They have held a series of joint war games in recent years, including naval drills and patrols by long-range bombers over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea. Russian and Chinese ground forces also have deployed to the other country’s territory for joint drills.

China remains a major market for Russian military, while also massively expanding its domestic defensive industries, including building aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines.

Putin has previously said that Russia has been sharing highly sensitive military technologies with China that helped significantly bolster its defense capability. In October 2019, he mentioned that Russia was helping China to develop an early warning system to spot ballistic missile launches — a system involving ground-based radar and satellites that only Russia and the U.S. possessed.

Bodeen reported from Taipei. Wu reported from Bangkok. Associated Press researchers Yu Bing and Wanqing Chen in Beijing, and AP writer Jim Heintz in Tallinn, Estonia contributed to this report.

You May Also Like

As president, Raisi supported attacking Israel in a massive assault in April that saw over 300 drones and missiles fired.

The brief flight made Ed Dwight the new record-holder for oldest person in space.

In less than 20 years, “March No. 1” went from an Ivy League novelty to a widely embraced musical standard for high school...

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan is expected to meet with top Israeli leaders to discuss an ambitious U.S. plan...

Military News

• Investigations and Features
• Military Opinion

Select Service

• National Guard

Most Popular Military News

On April 30, three combined littoral reconnaissance teams made up of roughly 30 U.S. and Philippine Marines each, flown by...

The Army has eliminated a significant part of its online training for enlisted troops -- a learning program that has drawn...

For decades, recipients of the Purple Heart were honored with medals that had been forged during World War II, leftover stock...

Capt. John Robertson, an instructor pilot from the 80th Operations Support Squadron at Sheppard Air Force Base, was injured...

The recommendation from the House Armed Services Committee in its draft version of the National Defense Authorization Act, or...

Latest Benefits Info

• Burial at Sea: A Time-Honored Tradition
• VA Fertility Benefits for Military Veterans
• Virginia Veterans Rally the Troops, State Leaders in Support of Education Benefits
• 4 Tips for Flying Space-A
• The Mental Burden of Using Military Benefits

More Military Headlines

Syria has publicly denied holding Americans in captivity.

• Army Will Present Purple Heart to Minnesota Veteran 73 Years After He Was Wounded in Korean War
• Staff Sgt. Gordon Black Reportedly Pleads Guilty to Theft While Being Held by Russia
• Texas Governor Pardons Ex-Army Sergeant Convicted of Killing Black Lives Matter Protester
• America's First Black Astronaut Candidate Finally Goes to Space 60 Years Later on Bezos Rocket
• 'He Was Great Before He Came to Us': Air Force Leaders Speak at Funeral of Florida Airman Killed by Police
• Another Dead End for Airborne Lasers: Air Force Scraps Effort to Mount Directed-Energy Weapon on Fighter Jet
• Military Ospreys Can't Fly More Than 30 Minutes from Landing Airfield Months After Grounding Lifted
• US Navy Flagship Carrier USS Ronald Reagan Leaves Its Japan Home Port After Nearly 9 Years
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to Speak at 2024 Naval Academy Graduation Ceremony

Military Benefits Updates

• Fertility Benefits for Active-Duty Service Members
• How Marines Took an Airfield in the Philippines in a Show Against China
• Privatized Barracks Would Get Deeper Look Under House's Draft Defense Bill
• US Coast Guard Says Texas Barge Collision May Have Spilled Up to 2,000 Gallons of Oil
• Power Outages and an Urgent Warning: NTSB Details Dali Crew’s Scramble Before Key Bridge Collapse
• Coast Guard Tweaks Tattoo Policy to Allow Bigger Designs on Hands, Ink Behind Both Ears

Entertainment

• Jeff Bridges and Dave Bautista Headline All-Star Cast in New Take on 'Beowulf' Epic
• ‘Unconventional’ Demystifies Military Life While Showing the Power of a New Generation of Veterans
• Navy Veteran and 'King of B-Movies' Roger Corman Dies at 98

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Guest Essay

The West Doesn’t Understand How Much Russia Has Changed

By Alexander Gabuev

Mr. Gabuev, the director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, wrote from Berlin.

Vladimir Putin’s trip to Beijing this week, where he will meet with Xi Jinping and top Chinese officials, is another clear demonstration of the current closeness between Russia and China.

Yet many in the West still want to believe that their alliance is an aberration, driven by Mr. Putin’s emotional anti-Americanism and his toxic fixation on Ukraine. Once Mr. Putin and his dark obsessions are out of the picture, the thinking goes , Moscow will seek to rebuild ties with the West — not least because the bonds between Russia and China are shallow, while the country has centuries of economic and cultural dependence on Europe.

This wishful view, however appealing, overlooks the transformation of Russia’s economy and society. Never since the fall of the Soviet Union has Russia been so distant from Europe, and never in its entire history has it been so entwined with China. The truth is that after two years of war in Ukraine and painful Western sanctions, it’s not just Mr. Putin who needs China — Russia does, too.

China has emerged as Russia’s single most important partner, providing a lifeline not only for Mr. Putin’s war machine but also for the entire embattled economy. In 2023, Russia’s trade with China hit a record $240.1 billion, up by more than 60 percent from prewar levels, as China accounted for 30 percent of Russia’s exports and nearly 40 percent of its imports.

Before the war, Russia’s trade with the European Union was double that with China; now it’s less than half. The Chinese yuan, not the dollar or the euro, is now the main currency used for trade between the two countries, making it the most traded currency on the Moscow stock exchange and the go-to instrument for savings.

This economic dependence is filtering into everyday life. Chinese products are ubiquitous and over half of the million cars sold in Russia last year were made in China. Tellingly, the top six foreign car brands in Russia are now all Chinese, thanks to the exodus of once dominant Western companies. It’s a similar story in the smartphone market, where China’s Xiaomi and Tecno have eclipsed Apple and Samsung, and with home appliances and many other everyday items.

These shifts are tectonic. Even in czarist times, Russia shipped its commodities to Europe and relied on imports from the West of manufactured goods. Russia’s oligarchs, blacklisted by most Western countries, have had to adapt to the new reality. Last month, the businessman Vladimir Potanin, whose fortune is estimated at $23.7 billion, announced that his copper and nickel empire would reorient toward China, including by moving production facilities into the country. “If we’re more integrated into the Chinese economy,” he said, “we’ll be more protected.”

From the economy, education follows. Members of the Russian elite are scrambling to find Mandarin tutors for their kids, and some of my Russian contacts are thinking about sending their children to universities in Hong Kong or mainland China now that Western universities are much harder to reach. This development is more than anecdotal. Last year, as China opened up after the pandemic, 12,000 Russian students went to study there — nearly four times as many than to the United States.

This reorientation from West to East is also visible among the middle class, most notably in travel. There are now, for example, five flights a day connecting Moscow and Beijing in under eight hours, with a return ticket costing about $500. By contrast, getting to Berlin — one of many frequent European weekend destinations for middle-class Russians before the war — can now take an entire day and cost up to twice as much.

What’s more, European cities are being replaced as Russian tourist destinations by Dubai, Baku in Azerbaijan and Istanbul, while business trips are increasingly to China, Central Asia or the Gulf . Locked out of much of the West, which scrapped direct flights to Russia and significantly reduced the availability of visas for Russians, middle-class Russians are going elsewhere.

Intellectuals are turning toward China, too. Russian scientists are beginning to work with and for Chinese companies, especially in fields such as space exploration, artificial intelligence and biotech . Chinese cultural influence is also growing inside Russia. With Western writers like Stephen King and Neil Gaiman withdrawing the rights to publish their work in Russia, publishers are expanding their rosters of Chinese works. Supported by lavish grants for translators from the Chinese government, this effort is set to bring about a boom in Chinese books.

Chinese culture will not replace Western culture as Russians’ main reference point any time soon. But a profound change has taken place. From the other side of the Iron Curtain, Europe was seen as a beacon of human rights, prosperity and technological development, a space that many Soviet citizens aspired to be part of.

Now a growing number of educated Russians, on top of feeling bitterness toward Europe for its punitive sanctions, see China as a technologically advanced and economically superior power to which Russia is ever more connected. With no easy way back to normal ties with the West, that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.

In his dystopian novel “ Day of the Oprichnik ,” Vladimir Sorokin describes a deeply anti-Western Russia of 2028 that survives on Chinese technology while cosplaying the medieval brutality of Ivan the Terrible’s era. With every passing day, this unsettling and foresighted novel — published in 2006 as a warning to Russia about the direction of travel under Mr. Putin — reads more and more like the news.

Alexander Gabuev ( @AlexGabuev ) is the director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

Follow the New York Times Opinion section on Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , WhatsApp , X and Threads .

China and Russia reaffirm their close ties as Moscow presses its offensive in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping reaffirmed their “no-limits” partnership that has deepened as both countries face rising tensions with the West

BEIJING — Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday reaffirmed their “no-limits” partnership that has deepened as both countries face rising tensions with the West, and they criticized U.S. military alliances in Asia and the Pacific region.

At their summit in Beijing, Putin thanked Xi for China’s proposals for ending the war in Ukraine , which have been rejected by Ukraine and its Western supporters as largely following the Kremlin’s line.

Putin’s two-day state visit to one of his strongest allies and trading partners comes as Russian forces are pressing an offensive in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region in the most significant border incursion since the full-scale invasion began on Feb. 24, 2022.

China claims to take a neutral position in the conflict, but it has backed the Kremlin’s contentions that Russia was provoked into attacking Ukraine by the West, and it continues to supply key components needed by Moscow for weapons production.

China, which hasn’t criticized the invasion, proposed a broadly worded peace plan in 2023, calling for a cease-fire and for direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv. The plan was rejected by both Ukraine and the West for failing to call for Russia to leave occupied parts of Ukraine.

GET CAUGHT UP

70 years later, 1 in 3 Black people say integration didn’t help Black students

Journalists sue Chicago Tribune owner alleging pay discrimination

Abbott grants Daniel Perry pardon in murder of Black Lives Matter protester

NFL disavows Harrison Butker’s comments, cites commitment to inclusion

6 Airbnb red flags to spot before you make a booking mistake

China also gave a rhetorical nod to Russia’s narrative about Nazism in Ukraine, with a joint statement Thursday that said Moscow and Beijing should defend the post-World War II order and “severely condemn the glorification of or even attempts to revive Nazism and militarism.”

Putin has cited the “denazification” of Ukraine as a main goal of the military action, falsely describing the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust, as neo-Nazis.

The largely symbolic and ceremonial visit stressed partnership between two countries who both face challenges in their relationship with the U.S. and Europe.

“Both sides want to show that despite what is happening globally, despite the pressure that both sides are facing from the U.S., both sides are not about to turn their backs on each other anytime soon,” said Hoo Tiang Boon, who researches Chinese foreign policy at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.

While Putin and Xi said they were seeking an end to the war, they offered no new proposals in their public remarks.

“China hopes for the early return of Europe to peace and stability and will continue to play a constructive role toward this,” Xi said in prepared remarks to media in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People. His words echoed what China said when it offered a broad plan for peace .

Earlier, Putin was welcomed in Tiananmen Square with military pomp. After a day in Beijing, the Russian leader arrived in Harbin, where he was expected to attend a number of events on Friday.

On the eve of his visit, Putin said China’s proposal could “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.”

Zelenskyy has said any negotiations must include a restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of all prisoners, a tribunal for those responsible for the aggression and security guarantees for Ukraine.

After Russia’s latest offensive in Ukraine last week, the war is in a critical stage as Ukraine’s depleted military waits for new supplies of anti-aircraft missiles and artillery shells from the United States after months of delay.

The joint statement from China and Russia also criticized U.S. foreign policy at length, hitting out at U.S.-formed alliances, which the statement called having a “Cold War mentality.”

China and Russia also accused the U.S. of deploying land-based intermediate range missile systems in the Asia-Pacific under the pretext of joint exercises with allies. They said that the U.S. actions in Asia were “changing the balance of power” and “endangering the security of all countries in the region.”

The joint statement demonstrated China’s support to Russia.

China is “falling over themselves to give Russia face and respect without saying anything specific, and without committing themselves to anything,” said Susan Thornton, a former diplomat and a senior fellow at the Paul Tsai China Center at Yale Law School.

The meeting was yet another affirmation of the friendly “no-limits” relationship China and Russia signed in 2022, just before Moscow invaded Ukraine.

Since then, Russia has become increasingly dependent economically on China as Western sanctions cut its access to much of the international trading system. China’s increased trade with Russia, totaling $240 billion last year, has helped the country mitigate some of the worst blowback from sanctions.

Moscow has diverted the bulk of its energy exports to China and relied on Chinese companies for importing high-tech components for Russian military industries to circumvent Western sanctions.

“I and President Putin agree we should actively look for convergence points of the interests of both countries, to develop each’s advantages, and deepen integration of interests, realizing each others’ achievements,” Xi said.

U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said that China can’t “have its cake and eat it too.

“You cannot want to have deepened relations with Europe … while simultaneously continuing to fuel the biggest threat to European security in a long time,” Patel said.

Xi congratulated Putin on starting his fifth term in office and celebrated the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the former Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China, which was established following a civil war in 1949. Putin has eliminated all major political opponents and faced no real challenge in the March election.

“In a famous song of that time, 75 years ago — it is still performed today — there is a phrase that has become a catchphrase: ‘Russians and Chinese are brothers forever,’” Putin said.

Russia-China military ties have strengthened during the war. They have held a series of joint war games in recent years.

China remains a major market for Russian military, while also massively expanding its domestic defensive industries, including building aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines.

Putin has previously said that Russia has been sharing highly sensitive military technologies with China that helped significantly bolster its defense capability.

Huizhong Wu reported from Bangkok. Yu Bing and Wanqing Chen in Beijing, Christopher Bodeen in Taipei, Jim Heintz and Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia, and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington contributed to this report.