Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday exchanged Lunar New Year greetings over the phone with President Vladimir Putin, telling his Russian counterpart that both countries should oppose interference by “external forces,” according to state media reports.

The bond between Beijing and Moscow has only strengthened in the past few years and comes at a time when much of the Western world has turned its back on Russia over its invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Just weeks before the war began, Xi agreed to a “no limits” friendship with Putin during the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and then went on to sign a series of long-term energy deals.