Xi made the remarks in a message exchanging New Year greetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency.

In the message, Xi said that 2025 “marks a concrete step in the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.”

His comments followed remarks by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who said Moscow opposes “any form of independence” for Taiwan.

In comments published Sunday by the Russian state news agency Tass, Lavrov said Russia’s position on Taiwan is “well-known, unchangeable, and has been repeatedly reaffirmed at the highest level.”

“Russia recognizes Taiwan as an integral part of China and opposes any form of independence for the island,” he said.

“We proceed from the premise that the Taiwan issue is an internal matter for the PRC (People’s Republic of China). Beijing has every legitimate basis for defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Lavrov added.

The statements come amid rising tensions between China and Japan since Nov. 7, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said a Chinese attack on Taiwan could legally constitute a “survival-threatening situation,” potentially allowing Japan to exercise the right of collective self-defense.