Russia has reaffirmed its support for Beijing’s stance on Taiwan, reiterating its recognition of the island as an “inalienable” part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) the Tass news agency reported on May 8. The declaration came in a joint statement issued to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany and to underscore the deepening strategic ties between Moscow and Beijing.

“The Russian side reaffirms its commitment to the principle of ‘One China’” the statement read, continuing “It recognises that there is only one China in the world, with Taiwan being an inalienable part of its territory. The government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate authority representing all of China.”

Moscow further underscored its opposition to “any form of Taiwanese independence” and expressed strong support for China’s efforts to maintain what it calls its sovereignty and territorial integrity, with national unification cited as a core objective.

That the claim came on the same day as Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the Russian capital came as no surprise to political commentators in Taiwan and elsewhere.

Taiwan is a self-governed island democracy that has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party regardless of claims to the contrary by Beijing. Despite this, China views the island as a breakaway province and has not ruled out the use of force to bring it under its control. As such, the Kremlin’s endorsement of this position reflects growing political and military alignment between the two powers amid heightened tensions with the West.