Vlad, Vlad, you're on mute! Russian leader Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping share video call as their announce extension to 20-year friendship treaty

The leaders of Russia and China hailed increasingly close ties between their countries and announced the extension of a 20-year-old friendship treaty on Monday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping announced the extension of the Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship, signed in July 2001, a show of unity amid their tensions with the West.

Speaking to Xi Jinping during a video call, Putin said that the treaty helped take relations between Moscow and Beijing to an 'unprecedented height' and would be extended for another five years.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping (pictured on the screen) announced the extension of a 20-year-old friendship treaty between the countries on Monday

The Russian leader noted that the coordination of foreign policy efforts by Russia and China has played a 'stabilizing role in global affairs.' 

Putin said the treaty enshrined the two powers' support for defending national unity and territorial integrity, at a time when both Moscow and Beijing are at odds with Western countries on a wide range of issues.

'In today's world, such agreements are of serious importance,' the Kremlin cited Putin as saying. 

'In the context of increasing geopolitical turbulence, the dismantlement of arms control agreements and increased potential for conflict in different corners of the world, Russian-Chinese coordination plays a stabilising role in world affairs.'

Speaking during a video call, Putin said that the treaty helped take relations between Moscow and Beijing to an 'unprecedented height' and would be extended for another five years

Communist leader Xi emphasized the importance of a 'strategic cooperation' between Moscow and Beijing in defending their common interests on the global stage

Putin said the agreement would be automatically extended for another five years after it expires in February 2022. 

Xi in his opening remarks emphasized the importance of a 'strategic cooperation' between Moscow and Beijing in defending their common interests on the global stage. He added that Russia and China have worked to uphold a 'true multilateralism and global justice.' 

Putin and Xi have developed strong personal ties to bolster a 'strategic partnership' between the two former Communist rivals as they vie with the West for influence and face soaring tensions in relations with the U.S. and its allies. 

While Moscow and Beijing in the past rejected the possibility of forging a military alliance, Putin said last year that such a prospect can´t be ruled out entirely.

Putin and Xi have developed strong personal ties to bolster a 'strategic partnership' as they vie with the West for influence and face soaring tensions in relations with the U.S. and its allies. Pictured: Putin held a summit earlier this month with U.S. counterpart Joe Biden

During Monday's call, Putin congratulated Xi on the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China celebrated Thursday, saying that China is marking it with 'new achievements in the country's social-economic development and on the international stage' and recalling Soviet support for the Chinese communists.

Moscow marked the CPC's centennial by sharing historic documents on Soviet-Chinese links with Beijing.

Russia's relations with the United States and other Western countries linger at post-Cold War lows over issues ranging from Moscow's annexation of Crimea to allegations of Russian meddling in U.S. elections.

Putin held a summit earlier this month with U.S. counterpart Joe Biden in which they decided to cooperate in some areas despite their tense relations.