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Putin arrives in Beijing
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday night for a two-day state visit for talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, days after US leader Donald Trump travelled to China.
“Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday night on a two-day state visit”
Putin said Russia-China relations have reached "a truly unprecedented level," and he described regular mutual visits and Russia-China top-level talks as "an important and integral part" of joint efforts to promote bilateral relations.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Xi and Putin will exchange views on bilateral ties, cooperation in various fields, as well as international and regional issues of mutual interest.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said this is Putin's 25th visit to China, emphasising close strategic ties between Russia and China and strong friendship and rapport between the two leaders.
Friendship framed as not against
Ahead of his trip, Putin told a video address published by Russian state news agency TASS that "Our friendship is not directed against anyone," and he said the ties are based on "mutual understanding and trust."
Putin said he was traveling to Beijing at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he described as a "long-time good friend," and he said regular high-level contacts were vital for deepening bilateral relations.
He praised economic cooperation, saying bilateral trade had surpassed $200 billion and that transactions were now conducted "almost entirely in rubles and yuan."
In a separate report, Al Jazeera said Putin hailed Moscow and Beijing’s deepening ties as a "stabilising" force on the world stage ahead of talks with Xi, adding that Moscow and Beijing do not wish to align against any other country but work together for "peace and universal prosperity."
What the visit is for
The Deccan Herald reported that Putin noted Russia and China signed the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation 25 years ago, and he said the arrangement laid a solid foundation for a strategic relationship and comprehensive partnership.
“Russia and China signed the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation”
Putin said the close strategic relationship between Russia and China plays a major, stabilising role globally, and he stressed that Moscow and Beijing act in a coordinated manner to defend international law and the provisions of the UN Charter.
The Deccan Herald also said trade between Russia and China continues to grow, having long surpassed the USD 200 billion mark, with mutual settlements now conducted almost entirely in rubles and yuan, and it said Putin welcomed the introduction of a mutual visa-free regime.
In the Kremlin’s framing, Dmitry Peskov said, "Moscow has highly significant expectations regarding Putin's upcoming official visit to China," and he said all economic issues on the Russia–China agenda will be discussed during Putin's visit to Beijing.
