The Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, has welcomed his “dear friend” Vladimir Putin to Beijing, kicking off a multilateral summit overshadowed by the Israel-Hamas war.
Beijing this week hosts representatives of 130 countries for a forum on Xi’s vast trade and infrastructure project, the belt and road initiative (BRI).
At the top of the guest list is the Russian president, who is on his first trip to a major global power since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine threw his regime into international isolation.
Analysts say the invitation of Putin to Xi’s flagship international summit underlines Beijing’s close relationship with Moscow, even at the cost of goodwill with the west.
The two leaders met on Tuesday evening at an event kicking off the forum. A video posted by Russia’s foreign ministry showed them shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries. They also took part in a group photo with other leaders attending the summit.
Russia has not officially signed up to the BRI, but Putin is a close ally of Xi’s.
At an official banquet, Xi delivered a toast in which he alluded to recent geopolitical conflicts but added that “the historical [trend] of peace” was “unstoppable”.
Source: theguardian.com
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
