The Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, has welcomed his “dear friend” Vladimir Putin to Beijing, 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 the Russian president, who is on his first trip to a major global power since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine threw his regime into international isolation.
Analysts say the invitation of Putin to Xi’s flagship international summit underlines Beijing’s close relationship with Moscow, even at the cost of goodwill with the west.
The two leaders met on Tuesday evening at an event kicking off the forum. A video posted by Russia’s foreign ministry showed them shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries. They also took part in a group photo with other leaders attending the summit.
Russia has not officially signed up to the BRI, but Putin is a close ally of Xi’s.
At an official banquet, Xi delivered a toast in which he alluded to recent geopolitical conflicts but added that “the historical [trend] of peace” was “unstoppable”.
“Although the world today is not peaceful, downward pressure on the global economy is increasing and global development faces a great deal of challenges, we firmly believe that the historical trends of peace, development, cooperation and mutual wins are unstoppable,” Xi said, according to the state news agency Xinhua.
In an interview with Chinese state media published over the weekend, Putin described Xi as a “true leader”.
Putin also praised what he described as the emergence of a “multipolar world”. Xi and Putin have promoted this concept, particularly since the start of the war in Ukraine, as an alternative to the US-led international order. A “multipolar world” in which global south countries have more agency is part of Xi’s appeal to attenders at the BRI forum this week.
Putin is due to hold in-depth talks with Xi on the sidelines of the forum on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, with the war between Israel and Hamas looming large over the summit.
“During the talks, special attention will be paid to international and regional issues,” the Kremlin said, without elaborating.
Western countries led by the US have rallied to Israel’s side since 7 October, when Hamas launched the deadliest attack in Israel’s history, killing more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians.
Washington has asked China to use its influence to help de-escalate the war, with more than a million people in the blockaded Gaza Strip fleeing the relentless bombardment that Israel launched in retaliation for the attack.
China brokered an entente between the key Hamas backer Iran and its regional foe Saudi Arabia earlier this year, and will send its Middle East envoy, Zhai Jun, to the region this week.
No details were given about where or when exactly Zhai would travel. China’s state broadcaster CCTV said he would push for a ceasefire and peace talks.
Last week, Israel said it was deeply disappointed with China for failing to condemn Hamas. China has historically supported the Palestinian cause.
On Saturday, China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, spoke to his counterpart in Saudi Arabia. He said “Israel’s actions have gone beyond self-defence”, according to a readout in Chinese state media.
Russia, which has traditionally maintained good relations with Israeli and Palestinian authorities, has called for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict. Beijing has called for peace and says it backs a two-state solution to the conflict.
In Beijing, Putin is on a mission to strengthen the already strong bond with his communist neighbour, though experts say Moscow is increasingly the junior partner in the relationship.
China is Russia’s largest trading partner, with exchange between the nations reaching a record $190bn last year, Beijing customs data shows.
Beijing has drawn criticism from western countries for its stance on the Ukraine war, on which China insists it is neutral even as it refuses to criticise Moscow’s invasion.
When Xi made a state visit to Moscow in March, Putin hailed the “truly unlimited possibilities” their countries’ partnership offered.
While the BRI forum provides a fresh opportunity for Putin and Xi to show off their alliance, experts do not expect any new major agreements to be announced.
“Russia is aware that China doesn’t want to sign any high-publicity deals,” Alexander Gabuev, the director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, told AFP. “China holds all of the cards,” he said.
