Chinese President Xi Jinping told Russia's Vladimir Putin on Thursday their two countries should be "friends of steel", as they pledged to raise cooperation to a new level and "decisively" counter the influence of the United States.

The two leaders, meeting in Moscow, rejected what they described as Washington’s attempt to contain them. They also hailed their friendship.

The Trump administration has said it wants to pull apart Russia and China, but the two countries need each other too much.