Xi, Putin reaffirm ‘old friend’ ties in face of US challenges

Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin as an “old friend” as the two held a series of meetings on Tuesday at a time when their countries face both overlapping and differing challenges from the United States.

Relations between China and Russia have deepened in recent years, particularly following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. US President Donald Trump's unorthodox approach to the war has added a twist to the relationship but doesn't appear to have fundamentally changed it.

Putin addressed Xi as a “dear friend” and said Moscow's ties with Beijing were “at an unprecedentedly high level”. In a sign of the importance China places on the relationship, their formal meeting was followed by tea with top aides at Zhongnanhai, the walled complex that is the centre of power in China with residences and offices for its top leaders.

China announced after the talks that it would begin offering 30-day visa-free access to Russian travellers starting later this month. The talks come the day after both attended a summit of the SCO summit in Tianjin.