Presidents of China and Russia at security summit in Uzbekistan

Chinese President Xi Jinping is welcomed by Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Samarkand (Li Xueren/Xinhua via AP)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and leaders from India and Central Asian were in Uzbekistan on Thursday for a summit of a security group formed by Beijing and Moscow as a counterweight to US influence.

The meeting of the eight-nation Shanghai Co-operation Organisation comes at a time when Mr Putin is isolated abroad following his invasion of Ukraine.