Vladimir Putin met Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday morning during a state visit aimed at underscoring the leaders’ close relationship and shoring up China’s support for Russia’s wartime economy.
The Chinese president welcomed his Russian counterpart, who arrived in Beijing before dawn, at the Great Hall of the People before they kicked off two days of meetings that are expected to cover the war in Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East and economic and defence co-operation.
In his opening comments, Xi stressed the “friendship” between Moscow and Beijing, saying he and Putin provided each other with “strategic guidance”. He added that their countries would “uphold fairness and justice around the world”.