President Xi Jinping has arrived in Moscow for a high-profile state visit underscoring efforts to strengthen ties with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin amid growing trade pressures from the US and scepticism from European allies.
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Upon landing at Moscow’s Vnukovo-2 airport on Wednesday afternoon local time, Xi expressed confidence that the trip would deepen bilateral cooperation between the two nations.
“I will meet with President Putin to have an in-depth exchange of views over bilateral relations, practical cooperation as well as major international and regional issues of mutual interest,” Xi said in a written statement.
“[This] will inject strong impetus into the growth of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era.”
He also hailed the friendship between China and Russia, calling the two countries “good neighbours that cannot be moved away, true friends who share weal and woe, and good partners that enable each other’s success”.
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Hours before Xi touched down, local authorities said a number of Ukrainian drones were brought down near the capital, and airports across Moscow were forced to temporarily shut down.