Astana, Kazakhstan - A declaration signed Thursday by participants at a regional summit attended by Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted "tectonic shifts" in world politics.

The leaders of China and Russia on Thursday urged their allies and partners to resist malign external influence, in an attempt to advance their shared agenda at a regional summit in Kazakhstan.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping were in the Kazakh capital of Astana for a gathering of leaders from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a regional bloc that Moscow and Beijing see as a counterweight to US "hegemony" on the world stage.

Xi called on countries to "resist external interference," while Putin claimed that "new centers" of political and economic might were on the rise outside the western sphere.

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A declaration signed by both leaders said that "tectonic shifts are taking place in global politics, economics and other spheres of international relations."

"The use of force is increasing," the declaration stated. "The norms of international law are systemically being violated, geopolitical confrontation and conflicts are growing, and risks to stability in the world and the SCO region are multiplying."

Neither leader mentioned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, nor China's ongoing disputes with Taiwan, despite the two leaders calling for "mutual respect for sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of states."

In remarks given at the summit, Vladimir Putin said, "The multipolar world has become a reality," referring to the growing divide between Russian and Chinese-aligned countries and traditionally democratic western countries in Europe and North America."

"The circle of states that stand for a just world order and are ready to resolutely defend their legitimate rights and protect traditional values is expanding," Putin said. "New centers of power and economic growth are strengthening."

China's president, Xi Jinping, also weighed in, saying that SCO members should "join hands to resist external interference, firmly support each other, take care of each other's concerns."

"It is of vital importance to the world that the SCO be on the right side of history and on the side of fairness and justice."