Putin Meets Xi Jinping In Beijing

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping meet in Beijing's Great Hall of the People on May 16 during Putin's state visit to China.

 

Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomed Vladimir Putin to Beijing Thursday with a military band serenade and a multiple gun salute outside the capital’s Great Hall of the People, heralding the start of a two-day state visit set to underline the leaders’ close alignment as Russian troops advance in Ukraine.

 

The visit — Putin’s symbolic first overseas foray since entering a new term as Russia’s president last week is a mark of Xi’s support for Putin and the latest sign of the deepening relations as the two bind their countries closer in the face of heavy frictions with the West.

 

During talks Thursday morning, Xi said China-Russian relations have “stood the test of a changing international landscape” and should be “cherished and nourished” by both sides, according to a readout from China’s Foreign Ministry.

 

“China is ready to work with Russia to stay each other’s good neighbor, good friend and good partner that trust each other, continue to consolidate the lasting friendship between the two peoples, and jointly pursue respective national development and revitalization and uphold fairness and justice in the world,” Xi said.

 

Putin hailed the countries’ “practical cooperation,” pointing to their record bilateral trade last year and China’s prominence as an economic partner for Russia, according to Russian state media Tass. The Russian president said energy, industry, and agriculture were among his cooperation priorities and the leaders had “already started talking” about this.

 

Putin’s red-carpet welcome to Beijing comes a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced via his office that he would halt all upcoming international visits, as his troops defend against a surprise Russian offensive in his country’s northeastern Kharkiv region.

 

The meeting in Beijing – Putin and Xi’s fourth time speaking face-to-face since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 – comes amid mounting international concern about the direction of the war amid delays in aid to Ukraine and as Russia’s economy and defense complex appears unbowed by Western sanctions.

 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Kyiv earlier this week to reaffirm the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine after months of Congressional delay in approving American military aid to the embattled country. Blinken pledged $2 billion in foreign military financing and said much-needed ammunition and weapons are being rushed to the front lines.

 

Xi welcomes Putin under pressure from both the US and Europe to ensure soaring exports from China to Russia since the start of the war aren’t propping up the Kremlin’s war effort.

 

White House officials in recent weeks have confronted Beijing on what they believe is substantial support – in the form of goods like machine tools, drone and turbojet engines and microelectronics – from China for Russia’s defense industrial base. Beijing has slammed the US as making “groundless accusations” over “normal trade and economic exchanges” between China and Russia.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomed Vladimir Putin to Beijing Thursday with a military band serenade and a multiple gun salute outside the capital’s Great Hall of the People, heralding the start of a two-day state visit set to underline the leaders’ close alignment as Russian troops advance in Ukraine.

The visit — Putin’s symbolic first overseas foray since entering a new term as Russia’s president last week is a mark of Xi’s support for Putin and the latest sign of the deepening relations as the two bind their countries closer in the face of heavy frictions with the West.

During talks Thursday morning, Xi said China-Russian relations have “stood the test of a changing international landscape” and should be “cherished and nourished” by both sides, according to a readout from China’s Foreign Ministry.

“China is ready to work with Russia to stay each other’s good neighbor, good friend and good partner that trust each other, continue to consolidate the lasting friendship between the two peoples, and jointly pursue respective national development and revitalization and uphold fairness and justice in the world,” Xi said.

Putin hailed the countries’ “practical cooperation,” pointing to their record bilateral trade last year and China’s prominence as an economic partner for Russia, according to Russian state media Tass. The Russian president said energy, industry, and agriculture were among his cooperation priorities and the leaders had “already started talking” about this.

Putin’s red-carpet welcome to Beijing comes a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced via his office that he would halt all upcoming international visits, as his troops defend against a surprise Russian offensive in his country’s northeastern Kharkiv region.

The meeting in Beijing – Putin and Xi’s fourth time speaking face-to-face since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 – comes amid mounting international concern about the direction of the war amid delays in aid to Ukraine and as Russia’s economy and defense complex appears unbowed by Western sanctions.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Kyiv earlier this week to reaffirm the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine after months of Congressional delay in approving American military aid to the embattled country. Blinken pledged $2 billion in foreign military financing and said much-needed ammunition and weapons are being rushed to the front lines.

Xi welcomes Putin under pressure from both the US and Europe to ensure soaring exports from China to Russia since the start of the war aren’t propping up the Kremlin’s war effort.

White House officials in recent weeks have confronted Beijing on what they believe is substantial support – in the form of goods like machine tools, drone and turbojet engines and microelectronics – from China for Russia’s defense industrial base. Beijing has slammed the US as making “groundless accusations” over “normal trade and economic exchanges” between China and Russia.