Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed his “friend” and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to Beijing on Tuesday. They “had a brief conversation,” Russian diplomacy said in a message published on X.
Until this Wednesday, China is hosting representatives from some 130 countries for the “New Silk Roads” forum (officially called “The Belt and Road”). Putin and Xi met Tuesday evening at a ceremony opening the summit, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries. They also took part in a group photo with other leaders. At a banquet, the Chinese president delivered a toast in which he alluded to geopolitical conflicts, while asserting that “historical trends toward peace, development, cooperation and mutual gains were irrepressible,” according to the official agency New China.
A meeting between the two heads of state is scheduled for Wednesday. According to the Kremlin, the two men “will discuss in a friendly and frank manner (…) pressing issues of bilateral practical cooperation and the international agenda.”