Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for a two-day visit during which he will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The visit comes a week after US President Donald Trump paid a state visit to China.
Putin was welcomed by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi before heading to the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.
This marks the first time China has hosted leaders of Russia and the US in the same month outside a multilateral setting.
The last Putin-Xi meeting took place in February via video link.
The two leaders are scheduled to meet Wednesday.
Putin is leading a larger delegation of officials and business leaders.
Topics on the agenda include bilateral relations, the US-Iran war, and energy.
Alongside their delegations, Putin and Xi will discuss hydrocarbons, gas supplies, and the proposed Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, according to the Kremlin.
The two leaders are also expected to sign a joint statement following the talks and other agreements.
Putin will later meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang to discuss trade and economic cooperation.
Ahead of Putin’s arrival, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang also met Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov on Tuesday.
‘Longtime, good friend’
Ahead of the trip, Putin said relations between Moscow and Beijing had reached an “unprecedented level” and stressed that the partnership was “not directed against anyone.”
In a video address released before departing for Beijing, Putin described Xi as a “longtime, good friend.”
The Russian leader also praised economic ties, noting that bilateral trade between the two countries exceeded $200 billion, and that settlements were now conducted “almost entirely in rubles and yuan.”
The trip coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between the two countries. The Sino-Russian friendship treaty was signed in 2001 by then-Chinese President Jiang Zemin with Putin.
Putin and Xi will participate in the opening ceremony of the Russia-China Years of Education 2026-2027.
Hosting all 4 UN bigwigs
With Putin’s visit, China will have hosted all four leaders of the other permanent members of the UN Security Council within months of each other.
The Council has five permanent members: China, Russia, the US, the UK, and France.
French President Emmanuel Macron visited China in December, while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited in January.
Trump concluded a three-day visit last Friday, meeting Xi to discuss trade, Taiwan, the Middle East conflict, and other issues.
On Ukraine
Separately, China on Tuesday rejected a Financial Times report that claimed that Xi told Trump during their meeting last week that Putin “might end up regretting his invasion of Ukraine.”
The claim by the UK-based newspaper “is completely false,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters when asked about the report.
— Agencies
