Xi Jinping meets Russia’s Vladimir Putin on state visit to China

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

China’s leader Xi Jinping welcomed Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Thursday as he began a two-day state visit while Moscow presses forward with a new offensive in Ukraine.

They shook hands at a welcome ceremony after Mr Putin’s arrival in Beijing at dawn. Mr Putin, Mr Xi and other top officials are expected to hold meetings later that will emphasise their commitment to the “no limits” relationship they signed in 2022, just before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.