Talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin took place in the capital Beijing, according to Chinese state media.
On November 8, President Xi welcomed President Putin at the Great Hall of the People. The two leaders shook hands outside the building before proceeding to their talks, as shown in images from Russian media.
Before entering the Great Hall of the People, Putin and Xi walked together on a red carpet laid out to welcome the Russian guest, and stood at attention as the military band played both national anthems.
Katrina Yu, a correspondent for Al Jazeera in Beijing, noted significant differences between President Putin's visit and that of US President Donald Trump. Putin's trip marks 25 years of Sino-Russian friendship and is the 25th time he has visited China.
"So this visit will really focus on strengthening existing coordination and cooperation," Yu said.
"We expect the two sides to update each other on the situations in the Middle East and Ukraine. Certainly, President Xi Jinping will also share with President Putin what he discussed with Donald Trump last week," Yu added.
Putin was accompanied by a large delegation of Russian businessmen and government leaders. The Kremlin announced that the two leaders would sign around 40 different agreements, spanning sectors from economy and tourism to education.
"But I think for Putin, the main topic of discussion with President Xi Jinping will be energy security," Yu emphasized.
This is a developing story and more updates will follow.
