Ahead of the Winter Olympics opening ceremony, Russian President Vladimir Putin met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
The Russian president hailed the relationship between the two countries describing them as “unprecedented nature and an example of a dignified relationship”. It is Putin’s first overseas visit of the year even as he faces escalating tensions with the West over Ukraine.
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The Russian president met his Chinese counterpart in the first face-to-face meeting in nearly two years. President Xi on the other hand hasn’t left China since January 2020 as the coronavirus took hold in the country. Both leaders will be attending the Olympic opening ceremony later today.
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President Xi is now set to meet over twenty world leaders during the Winter Olympics. Ahead of his meeting with Xi, Putin described the Chinese president as “good friends and politicians who share many common views”. US, Australia and Canada had already announced a diplomatic boycott over the event amid protests over China reported poor human rights record.
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“Our oilmen have prepared very good new solutions for the supply of hydrocarbons to China,” the Russian president announced while announcing that Russia will supply 10 billion cubic meters of gas to China from the Russian Far East.
(With inputs from Agencies)
