Xi hails Putin friendship, Beijing-Moscow ties

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed his close friendship with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday as he hosted the Russian leader for talks that celebrated their nations' deepening political and economic ties.

Putin, on his first trip to a major global power since his forces invaded Ukraine, met his «old friend» Xi at Beijing's Great Hall of the People on the sidelines of a major forum.

«The political mutual trust between the two countries is continuously deepening,» state-run Xinhua News Agency quoted Xi as saying, adding that he hailed their «close and effective strategic coordination.»

The Chinese leader noted that he had met with Putin 42 times in the past decade, saying they had «developed a good working relationship and a deep friendship.»

Putin is the guest of honor at a summit hosted by Xi in Beijing to celebrate his Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a vast trade and infrastructure project.

Despite international attention focused on the Israel-Hamas conflict, neither Xi nor Putin made public comments on the war that has raged for more than 10 days.

The Chinese president did, however, call for joint efforts by China and Russia to «safeguard international fairness» and «justice,» Xinhua said.

China is Russia's largest trading partner, with exchange between the nations reaching a record $190 billion last year, Beijing customs data shows.

And Xi said on Wednesday it was progressing toward a goal of $200 billion set by the two countries in bilateral meetings this year.

Beijing has drawn criticism from Western countries for its stance on the war in Ukraine, on which China insists it is neutral. It has refused to criticize the invasion.

Putin is on a mission to strengthen the already strong bond with his communist neighbor, though experts say Moscow is increasingly the junior partner in the relationship.

In his talks with «dear friend» Xi, he stressed the importance of «close coordination in foreign policy» in «the current difficult conditions.»

«And we are doing it, and today we will discuss this,» Putin was quoted as saying in a Kremlin readout.

Chinese state broadcaster China Central Television reported shortly before 3 p.m. on Wednesday that the tete-a-tete had