Putin lands in Beijing for talks with Xi
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing late on Tuesday for talks with his Chinese counterpart and "long-time good friend" Xi Jinping, intending to show their ties are unshakeable days after a visit by Donald Trump.
The confirmation of Putin's trip came just hours after Trump wrapped up his visit on Friday, the first to China by a U.S. president in nearly a decade and one aimed at stabilising their turbulent relations.
Putin arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport around 11:15 p.m. (1515 GMT) on Tuesday, where he was greeted by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and a military band.
It was a near-mirror image of Trump's arrival days earlier, with both leaders stepping out of their planes onto a red carpet as Chinese youths chanted "welcome, welcome" -- this time, waving Russian flags instead of American.
