Xi pledges to work with Putin

BEIJING, May 16 (Reuters): Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to work with counterpart Vladimir Putin to "rejuvenate" their countries as the pair started a day of talks in Beijing, saying China would "always be a good partner" of Russia, according to Chinese state media.

Putin arrived on Thursday for a two-day state visit that will include detailed talks on Ukraine, Asia, energy and trade with Xi, his most powerful political backer and fellow geopolitical rival of the United States.

"The China-Russia relationship today is hard-earned, and the two sides need to cherish and nurture it," Xi told Putin as they met in Beijing's Great Hall of the People.

"China is willing to ... jointly achieve the development and rejuvenation of our respective countries, and work together to uphold fairness and justice in the world."

China and Russia declared a "no limits" partnership in February 2022 when Putin visited Beijing just days before he sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine, triggering the deadliest land war in Europe since World War Two.

By picking China for his first foreign trip since being sworn in this month for a six-year term that will keep him in power until at least 2030, Putin is sending a message to the world about his priorities and the strength of his personal ties with Xi.

Putin told Xi their cooperation was a stabilising factor. "It is of crucial significance that relations between Russia and China are not opportunistic and are not directed against anyone," Russia's RIA Novosti news agency cited Putin as saying.

Later describing their initial session as "warm and comradely", Putin outlined sectors where the two are strengthening ties, from nuclear and energy cooperation to food supplies and Chinese car manufacturing in Russia.

The leaders formally signed a statement deepening their strategic relationship, with Xi saying both sides agreed that a political settlement to the Ukraine crisis was the "right direction".

Putin said he was grateful to China for trying to solve the crisis, adding that he would brief Xi on the situation in Ukraine, where Russian forces are advancing on several fronts.

In an interview with China's Xinhua news agency before his departure, Putin praised Xi for helping to build that partnership based on national interests and deep mutual trust.

"It was the unprecedentedly high level of the strategic partnership between our countries that determined my choice of China as the first state that I would visit after taking office as president," Putin said.