Xi and Putin meet world leaders ahead of China's military parade in Beijing

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday (September 2) he was grateful to Chinese President Xi Jinping, his "dear friend", for the warm welcome he has received during his trip to China. (1369-WW2-ANNIVERSARY/CHINA-RUSSIA-HANDSHAKE)

BEIJING, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 2, 2025) (RUSSIAN POOL - Access all)

1. CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, SHAKING HANDS

2. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING (SOUNDBITE OVERLAID WITH CUTAWAYS OF MEETING):

"Mr. Chairman, dear friend, both I and the entire Russian delegation are pleased to meet once again with our Chinese friends and colleagues. I thank you for the warm welcome extended to our entire delegation. Our close communication reflects the strategic nature of Russia-China relations, which are at an unprecedentedly high level."

3. MEETING IN PROGRESS

4. XI LISTENING

The meeting between Putin and Xi is part of a series of bilateral talks held on the eve of a massive military parade in China. Xi is set to host China's largest-ever military parade on Wednesday (September 3), as he seeks to recast Beijing as the custodian of a post-U.S. international order at a time of deep geopolitical uncertainty. (1364-WW2-ANNIVERSARY/CHINA-RUSSIA)

BEIJING, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 2, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

5. CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING HOLDING BILATERAL MEETING WITH RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN

6. VARIOUS OF XI SPEAKING

7. VARIOUS OF PUTIN SPEAKING

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un crossed the border into China on his special train early Tuesday (September 2) to attend China's celebration of the formal surrender of Japan in World War Two, North Korean state media said on Tuesday. North Korea's official news agency KCNA released a picture of Kim and officials including Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, sitting inside the train. (1334-WW2-ANNIVERSARY/CHINA-NORTHKOREA)

UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION (RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2, 2025) (KCNA - No use North Korea / No use South Korea / No resale) (MUTE)

8. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF NORTH KOREAN LEADER KIM JONG UN (CENTRE) AND FOREIGN MINISTER CHOE SON HUI (RIGHT) SITTING IN TRAIN

A train marked with a North Korean flag and other visible design features consistent with one that has been used by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was seen travelling on a railway track in Beijing, Reuters witnesses said on Tuesday (September 2). Shortly after the train was spotted, a motorcade with a North Korean flag was seen leaving the Beijing Railway Station, a Reuters witness said. (1413-WW2-ANNIVERSARY/CHINA-KIM-TRAIN)

BEIJING, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 2, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

9. TRAIN BELIEVED TO BE CARRYING NORTH KOREAN LEADER, KIM JONG UN, PASSING BY ON WAY TO RAILWAY STATION

A motorcade with a North Korean flag was seen leaving the Beijing Railway Station located in the central part of the Chinese capital city on Tuesday (September 2). The entourage left the station just under half an hour after a train marked with a North Korean flag and other visible design features consistent with one that has been used by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was seen travelling on a railway track in Beijing, Reuters witnesses said. (1420-WW2-ANNIVERSARY/CHINA-KIM-MOTORCADE)

BEIJING, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 2, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

10. MOTORCADE WITH NORTH KOREAN FLAG TRAVELLING DOWN ROAD

11. VARIOUS OF CONVOY OF CARS ESCORTING CAR BELIEVED TO BE CARRYING KIM JONG UN LEAVING NORTH KOREAN EMBASSY IN BEIJING

Chinese President Xi Jinping held bilateral meetings with his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Beijing on Tuesday (September 2). (1358-WW2-ANNIVERSARY/CHINA-BILATERALS)

BEIJING, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 2, 2025) (REUTERS - All access)

12. NATIONAL FLAGS OF CHINA AND UZBEKISTAN

13. UZBEK PRESIDENT SHAVKAT MIRZIYOYEV SPEAKING

14. CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING LISTENING

15. MIRZIYOYEV SPEAKING

16. BILATERAL MEETING IN PROGRESS

17. PAKISTAN’S PRIME MINISTER SHEHBAZ SHARIF ARRIVING FOR BILATERAL MEETING

18. XI SPEAKING

19. SHARIF TALKING

20. NATIONAL FLAGS OF PAKISTAN AND CHINA

21. SHARIF TALKING

22. BILATERAL MEETING IN PROGRESS

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh met on Tuesday (September 2) in Beijing on the eve of a grand military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two. In his opening remarks, Putin said he hoped the talks would be "open and substantive." (1365-WW2-ANNIVERSARY/CHINA-RUSSIA-MONGOLIA)

BEIJING, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 2, 2025) (RUSSIAN POOL - Access all)

23. CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN AND MONGOLIAN PRESIDENT UKHNAAGIIN KHURELSUKH POSING FOR PHOTOS

24. PUTIN LISTENING, SMILING

25. XI SPEAKING

26. MEETING IN PROGRESS

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived in Beijing on Tuesday (September 2) to attend a massive military parade hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two following Japan's surrender. Vucic and Fico, both critical of sanctions on Russia over its war in Ukraine, are the only Western leaders attending. (1386-WW2-ANNIVERSARY/CHINA-ARRIVALS)

BEIJING, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 2, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

27. PLANE CARRYING SERBIAN PRESIDENT ALEKSANDAR VUCIC APPROACHING TO LAND AT AIRPORT

28. PLANE CARRYING VUCIC TAXIING ON RUNWAY

29. VUCIC AND FIRST LADY TAMARA VUCIC EXITING PLANE

30. SERBIAN FLAG ON TAIL FIN OF PLANE

BEIJING, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 2, 2025) (AGENCY POOL - Access all)

31. PLANE CARRYING SLOVAKIAN PRIME MINISTER ROBERT FICO TAXIING ON RUNWAY

32. AIRSTAIRS MOVING TOWARDS PLANE

33. FICO APPEARING AT PLANE DOOR, WALKING DOWN AIRSTAIRS

34. FICO GETTING INTO CAR / CEREMONIAL DANCING IN BACKGROUND

35. CAR CARRYING FICO LEAVING

Chinese President Xi Jinping held bilateral meetings in Beijing on Tuesday (September 2) with his counterparts from Iran, Turkmenistan and Mongolia. (1366-WW2-ANNIVERSARY/CHINA-BILATERALS-UPDATE)

BEIJING, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 2, 2025) (AGENCY POOL – Access all)

36. IRANIAN PRESIDENT, MASOUD PEZESHKIAN, ARRIVING FOR MEETING

37. MEETING STARTING

38. CHINESE PRESIDENT, XI JINPING, SPEAKING

39. PEZESHKIAN SPEAKING

40. NATIONAL FLAGS OF CHINA AND IRAN ON DISPLAY

41. TURKMENISTAN PRESIDENT, SERDAR BERDIMUHAMEDOW, ARRIVING FOR MEETING

42. DELEGATES FROM CHINA AND TURKMENISTAN TAKING THEIR SEATS AS MEETING BEGINS

43. BERDIMUHAMEDOW SITTING WITH DELEGATION FROM TURKMENISTAN

44. XI SPEAKING

45. BERDIMUHAMEDOW SPEAKING

46. NATIONAL FLAGS OF CHINA AND TURKMENISTAN ON DISPLAY

BEIJING, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 2, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

47. MONGOLIAN PRESIDENT, UKHNAAGIIN KHURELSUKH, ARRIVING FOR MEETING

48. XI SPEAKING

49. VARIOUS OF KHURELSUKH SPEAKING

50. NATIONAL FLAGS OF CHINA AND MONGOLIA ON DISPLAY

51. MEETING UNDER WAY

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow had never opposed Ukraine's potential membership of the European Union, and that he thought it was possible to find a consensus on ensuring the security of both Russia and Ukraine.

(1417-WW2-ANNIVERSARY/CHINA-RUSSIA-EU)

BEIJING, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 2, 2025) (RUPTLY FOR RUSSIAN POOL - No new usage after October 1, 2025)

52. RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN AND SLOVAK PRIME MINISTER ROBERT FICO ENGAGING IN TALKS

53. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING:

"As for Ukraine's EU membership, we have never objected to this. As for NATO, this is another issue (OVER PUTIN AND FICO SPEAKING). The point is the security of the Russian Federation, not only today or in midterm time span. It is about long-term outlook. Our position here is well known. We consider it is unacceptable for us."

54. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING:

"There are options for ensuring Ukraine's security in the event of an end to the conflict. It also has been discussed in Anchorage. And it seems to me that there is an opportunity to find consensus here."

55. PUTIN AND FICO TALKS IN PROGRESS