China’s President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin today signed and issued a joint statement on deepening China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era in Beijing. Both leaders pledged to deepen their strategic partnership.

Xi rolled out the red carpet for Putin, who arrived in Beijing for a two day state visit today. At a joint news briefing, both leaders Xi and Putin praised a strategic relationship between their two countries. The Chinese president said Beijing and Moscow agreed there should be a political solution to the Russia-Ukraine war. This is Putin’s first international visit since the start of his fifth presidential term.