Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin with pomp and pageantry as the pair kicked off talks in the Great Hall of the People on Wednesday morning, days after Xi hosted US President Donald Trump in the same location.
Pomp and Ceremony
Chinese soldiers stood at attention as a military band played the Russian and Chinese national anthems for the leaders in central Beijing. Children waving Russian and Chinese flags cheered “Welcome, welcome!” in Chinese before the pair entered the Great Hall. The scene was reminiscent of Trump’s high-profile meeting with Xi last week, when the leaders of the world’s two largest economies discussed trade, investment, the Iran conflict, and Taiwan.
Talks Begin
Talks between Xi and Putin began with a shorter “narrow format meeting” featuring fewer delegates to discuss sensitive issues, followed by a “wide format meeting” with their delegations. China’s foreign minister Wang Yi, who greeted Putin upon his arrival in Beijing on Tuesday evening, is also expected to hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
Opening Remarks
Chinese state media reported that Xi, in his opening remarks, said the two countries should help one another with national development and revitalisation, adding that the world is in danger of reverting to the “law of the jungle.” Putin hailed the relationship as being at an unprecedented level and stated that Moscow remained a “reliable energy supplier” amid the ongoing Middle East crisis. He also invited Xi to visit Russia next year. Xi said further hostilities in the Middle East were “inadvisable” and that a “comprehensive ceasefire is of utmost urgency,” state media reported.
Trade and Investment Agenda
Reciprocal trade and investment are likely to be top of the agenda for Putin as his sanctions-hit economy suffers under the growing cost of Moscow’s war in Ukraine. As Xi prepared to welcome Putin, the Chinese commerce ministry confirmed China will buy 200 Boeing jets and seek an extension of the trade agreement with the US reached in Kuala Lumpur last year. This statement marked Beijing’s first confirmation of the Boeing order that Trump alluded to last week.
Diplomatic Signals
The setting and manner of Xi’s encounters with other world leaders is often viewed as a signal of his regard for the guest, with the optics and outcomes of his meeting with Putin coming under added scrutiny so soon after Trump’s visit. In contrast to the adversarial nature of Washington-Beijing relations, Putin and Xi have signalled an increasingly warm bond over recent years, calling one another “dear” and “old” friends. When Xi last hosted Putin in May 2024, the pair seemed at ease as they ditched their ties and spoke over tea in a former imperial garden that now houses Chinese Communist party offices.
