Putin and Xi meet in Beijing

The Russian president’s two-day visit marks the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the countries

Russian President Vladimir Putin is meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing during his state visit to China on Thursday. It is Putin’s first foreign trip since he was sworn in for a fifth term as president earlier this month.

The leaders shook hands outside the Great Hall of the People building on Tiananmen Square and listened to a military orchestra perform the two countries’ national anthems. They later posed for photographs and left for a meeting between the delegations.

Putin is accompanied by multiple state ministers, who will participate in the negotiations on joint projects aimed at deepening bilateral ties.

In an interview with Xinhua before the trip, Putin hailed the “unprecedented level of strategic partnership” between the two states.

Russia and China have similar positions on the Ukraine conflict. Speaking to Xinhua, Putin praised Beijing for understanding “its root causes and global geopolitical significance.” China has refused to blame Russia for the tensions and instead condemned the expansion of NATO and Washington’s “Cold-War mentality.”

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