Xi gushes over 'dear friend' Putin as duo meet in China

Sino-Russian relationships were at the forefront on Wednesday as the leaders of China and Russia met in Beijing for the first time since the Ukrainian invasion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Beijing, China, this week to meet with his closest ally on the world stage, Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"The political mutual trust between the two countries is continuously deepening," Xi said, according to state media outlet Xinhua news agency.

Putin was the guest of honor at Xi's celebratory summit on the Belt and Road Initiative, a transcontinental infrastructure plan aimed at supercharging the communist nation's trade.