China’s Xi gives Putin a red-carpet welcome – and makes a veiled jab at the US

By Simone McCarthy, CNN

Beijing (CNN) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping hailed ties with Russia as a force of “calm amid chaos” during a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday, days after Xi hosted US President Donald Trump.

Xi alluded to an increasingly fractious international situation – and took a veiled jab at the US – as he sat down with Putin in the Great Hall of the People for meetings kicking off the Russian leader’s roughly 24-hour state visit in the Chinese capital.

“The international situation is marked by intertwined turbulence and transformation, while unilateral hegemonic currents are running rampant,” Xi said, using Beijing’s typical language to criticize what it sees as American foreign policy overreach.

In the face of this, China and Russia should enhance their “comprehensive strategic coordination,” Xi said, according to Chinese state media.

The Chinese leader directly addressed the US-Israeli war against Iran, saying that its “early end” will help reduce disruption to energy supplies, supply chains and trade.

“A comprehensive cessation of war brooks no delay, restarting hostilities is even less desirable, and persisting with negotiations is particularly important,” Xi said.

Putin – who continues to wage war in Ukraine – is making his 25th official visit to China during his quarter-century as Russia’s leader, a period in which Moscow and Beijing have significantly tightened coordination across trade, diplomacy and security.

A day of meetings between Putin and Xi is expected to focus on further expanding their “no limits” partnership – while also giving the two an opportunity to discuss Trump’s visit and the wars in Ukraine and Iran.

For Xi, hosting leaders of both the US and Russia – two nations both mired in conflict – in the space of a few days is a boon as he aims to cement China’s reputation as a global powerbroker.

Putin’s welcome outside the monumental Great Hall on Wednesday morning had all the trappings of the typical state-visit welcome, which Beijing also bestowed on Trump last week.

Xi and a line-up of his top officials shook hands with the Russian president, before Putin and Xi, looking relaxed, stood shoulder to shoulder during a gun salute, while a military band played and Russian and Chinese flags fluttered in the background.

Children also waved flags and flowers as the leaders walked by – a feature of last week’s ceremony that visibly amused Trump.

Those optics appeared geared to underscore China and Russia’s enduring and ever-deepening alignment, even as both governments shift their relationship with the US.

The two sides are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their 2001 “Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation,” which resolved long-standing border frictions and ushered in a new period of cooperation.

That cooperation has only been deepened by Xi and Putin, two leaders who have met more than 40 times, and are known for their close personal rapport.

Putin alluded to this in his opening remarks to Xi, in which he referenced a Chinese idiom that translates to “One day apart feels like three autumns,” used to emphasize the sadness of being separated.

But behind the pomp and circumstance, Putin is also facing Xi in a much weaker position than during his last visit to Beijing in September.

Days before his arrival, Ukraine launched what Russian media said was the largest attack on Moscow in over a year, targeting the capital city with more than 500 drones. Russia has also been losing ground to Ukraine, last month suffering what analysts say was the first net loss of territory since August 2024.

Xi may use the increasingly lopsided relationship between the two – with the Russian economy heavily beholden to China – to push for wins for Beijing in energy cooperation at time when conflict in the Middle East is squeezing Beijing’s access to crude oil.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.