Xi, Putin to deepen decade-long friendship at Beijing summit

BEIJING, Oct 17 (AFP): Ten years after toasting a budding friendship with vodka and cake, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin will meet again in Beijing on Wednesday seeking to further deepen the "no-limits" partnership between their two countries.
The two presidents share a strong personal bond, with Xi calling his Russian counterpart his "best friend" and Putin cherishing his "reliable partner".
Their relationship has been a constant despite a decade of increasingly difficult relations with Western countries-exemplified by Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which China has refused to condemn.
Putin touched down in Beijing just before 09:30 am on Tuesday, and the Kremlin said he would meet Xi for talks the following day. His attendance at a leaders forum in the Chinese capital this week is not only a rare foreign trip for the Russian leader, but also an opportunity to pay homage to Xi's signature Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.
"(The) Russian delegation's presence in Beijing is important for Moscow," said Alicja Bachulska, an expert on Chinese foreign policy at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
"It will legitimise Russia in the international arena by creating a positive image of Putin not being completely isolated in the context of war," she told AFP.
Xi and Putin forged their friendship when the pair shared cake and vodka shots to mark the Russian leader's birthday at a summit in Indonesia in 2013.
They have since drawn closer, with Xi whisking Putin away on a high-speed train ride across China to make traditional steamed buns in 2018.