Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin highlighted their strong relationship and strategic partnership in Beijing Wednesday, just days after U.S. President Donald Trump visited the Chinese capital.
Xi welcomed the Russian leader, whom he called his "long-time friend," with military honors and a red carpet ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square, while children waved Russian and Chinese flags.
The images echoed the carefully choreographed reception Xi gave Trump during his visit to Beijing last week for a two-day summit.
At the start of the public portion of their talks, Xi pointed to the long-standing "close" ties between the two neighbors and said China and Russia should deepen their "comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation in a new era" of global instability, Chinese state media quoted him as saying.
Putin described the relationship as "one of the most important stabilizing factors on the international stage."
