On cam: Putin arrives in China to grand red carpet welcome after Trump-Xi Beijing meet | Russia

Xi Jinping rolled out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin in Beijing as the two leaders prepared for a high-stakes summit amid growing global tensions. Putin’s visit comes shortly after his diplomatic engagements with the United States, putting fresh focus on Beijing’s balancing act between East and West. Ahead of the visit, Putin sent a message of solidarity to China, while Xi welcomed his “old friend” for talks expected to cover geopolitics, trade, Ukraine, and the shifting global power balance.