China’s Xi welcomes Putin in Beijing: LIVE UPDATES, VIDEOS
Chinese President Xi Jinping is hosting an official welcoming ceremony for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday, opening a packed day of talks and events aimed at further deepening ties between the two countries.
Putin arrived in the Chinese capital on Tuesday night for a two-day official visit at Xi’s invitation. The trip coincides with the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Russia-China Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation, a landmark document that laid the foundation for their strategic relationship.
The Russian leader’s schedule in Beijing includes one-on-one and expanded-format talks with Xi, the signing of dozens of joint documents, and several events highlighting the political, economic, and cultural dimensions of Moscow-Beijing relations. Putin is also expected to meet other senior Chinese officials.
The agenda is expected to cover trade, energy, security, investment, technological cooperation, and global affairs. Around 40 bilateral documents are expected to be signed during the visit, including a joint statement on deepening comprehensive strategic ties between Moscow and Beijing.
In a video address to the people of China ahead of the trip, Putin described Moscow and Beijing as a stabilizing force in global politics that seeks “peace and universal prosperity.”
Follow our live coverage below for continuous updates.
20 May 2026
03:32 GMTPutin and Xi have begun talks in Beijing with a narrow group of delegation members present.
- 03:20 GMT
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping greeted members of each other’s delegations during the official welcome ceremony in Beijing.
Putin shook hands with Chinese officials, while Xi, with Putin by his side, greeted members of the Russian delegation. Footage from the ceremony showed broad smiles and a warm atmosphere as the two sides exchanged greetings.
- 03:07 GMT
Chinese President Xi Jinping is holding an official welcome ceremony for Russian President Vladimir Putin outside the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing.
The ceremony marks the formal start of Putin’s program in the Chinese capital after he arrived the previous night for a two-day official visit at Xi’s invitation. The two leaders are expected to hold one-on-one and expanded-format talks later in the day, with the agenda set to include bilateral ties, trade, energy, security, technology, and major international issues.
- 03:02 GMT
Putin is accompanied in Beijing by a high-level delegation that reflects the breadth of the visit’s agenda, including senior Kremlin officials, government ministers, and the heads of major Russian companies and financial institutions.
The delegation includes First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, Deputy Prime Ministers Tatyana Golikova and Aleksandr Novak, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina, Kremlin investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev, Roscosmos chief Dmitry Bakanov, Rosneft head Igor Sechin, and Gazprom CEO Aleksey Miller, along with other representatives of government bodies and major Russian businesses.
- 02:54 GMT
President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday night for a two-day official visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Russian leader’s plane was met on the tarmac by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, along with an honor guard and a group of children waving Russian and Chinese flags.
Footage from the airport showed members of the honor guard arriving on motorcycles ahead of Putin’s plane, before the Russian president stepped onto the red carpet and was greeted by Chinese officials.
The visit is expected to focus on bilateral ties, trade, energy, security, and global affairs, with around 40 joint documents due to be signed during Putin’s stay in China.
