Xi welcomes ‘dear friend’ Putin to Beijing

AFP | Beijing                                          

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomed his “dear friend” Russian President Vladimir Putin to Beijing on Tuesday, kicking off a multilateral summit overshadowed by the Israel-Hamas war.

Beijing this week hosts representatives of 130 countries for a forum on Xi’s vast trade and infrastructure project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

At the top of the guest list is Putin, who is on his first trip to a major global power since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine threw his regime into international isolation. The two leaders met yesterday evening at an event kicking off the forum, video posted by Russia’s foreign ministry showed, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries. They then took part in a group photo with other leaders attending the summit.

Putin is due to hold in-depth talks with Xi on the sidelines of the forum on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, with the war raging between Israel and Palestinian militant organisation Hamas looming large over the summit.

“During the talks, special attention will be paid to international and regional issues,” the Kremlin said in a statement, without elaborating. Xi kicked off the summit Tuesday with talks with Chilean and Kazakhstan Presidents Gabriel Boric and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Chinese state media reported.

He then met Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, describing the conservative leader as a “friend” and thanking him for his support for the BRI, state news agency Xinhua reported. Xi also met the prime ministers of Papua New Guinea and Ethiopia.

Putin, meanwhile, had a meeting of his own with Orban, telling him he was satisfied to still maintain relations with some European countries, “despite... current geopolitical conditions”. The Russian leader also met with Vietnam’s President Vo Van Thong, the Kremlin said.