Xi Jinping hails ‘deep friendship’ with Vladimir Putin as leaders meet in Beijing

China’s president Xi Jinping lauded record high trade with Russia and stressed his “deep friendship” with Vladimir Putin, as the two leaders met in Beijing to reaffirm a partnership that has grown steadily closer since the Ukraine war.

Meeting on the sidelines of a forum to celebrate 10 years of his flagship Belt and Road foreign policy initiative, Xi told Putin annual bilateral trade between their countries had reached a “historic high” of nearly $200bn.

“Over the past decade, from 2013 to the present, I have had 42 meetings with Mr President, establishing a strong working relationship and deep friendship,” Xi told Putin, who was visiting Beijing for the first time since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

Xi did not mention the term “no-limits” partnership, which was used to describe the relationship during Putin’s last visit to Beijing in February 2022, days before he launched Russia’s attack on its neighbour.