Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping inspect an honor guard during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, May 20. AP-Yonhap
BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed China and Russia's "unyielding" ties in talks with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, as the pair met to underscore their alliance days after Donald Trump's visit to the Asian superpower economy.
After the U.S. president was received with pomp last week but left without major breakthroughs including on help with reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Putin's visit will be scrutinised for tangible takeaways.
Putin is however weakened by years of Russia's war on Ukraine, as sanctions by Western powers put the squeeze on energy revenues and increased Moscow's dependance on China, the main buyer of Russian oil.
The U.S. war on Iran has however hampered crude and gas flows, giving an opportunity to Putin to offer Russian energy sources as an alternative.
