Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin held high-level talks in Beijing on Wednesday, with both leaders praising the deepening strategic partnership between their countries amid global tensions and growing instability in the Middle East. Xi personally welcomed Putin at the Great Hall of the People in the Chinese capital, where the two leaders walked together along a red carpet as military honors were presented and the national anthems of both countries were performed.

China’s deep relationship with Russia remains a continuing cause for concern in the west, particularly since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine

Yury Ushakov said the Russian president will begin his meeting with Xi Jinping after the welcome ceremony in the Great Hall of the People