STORY: Chinese President Xi Jinping formally welcomed his Russian counterpart at a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday (May 20) as the two leaders began a summit that is expected to feature discussions on bilateral and international issues, capped by an intimate tete-a-tete between "old friends" over tea.

Coming on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to the Chinese capital, the optics and outcomes of the meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be closely scrutinized and compared.

Putin was greeted by China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi when he landed on Tuesday (May 19) evening, with an honour guard alongside Chinese youths waving the two countries' national flags in a welcome ceremony on the tarmac.

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China's Xi welcomes Putin in Beijing at start of summit meeting

VIDEO SHOWS: CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING GREETS RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN AT THE GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE/ OFFICIAL WELCOME CEREMONY WITH RUSSIAN DELEGATION/ MILITARY BAND PLAYING, JUBILANT GROUPS OF CHILDREN WAVING/ SOLDIERS MARCHING PAST XI AND PUTIN/ THE TWO LEADERS WALKING UP STEPS TO THE GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: BEIJING, CHINA (MAY 20, 2026) (RUSSIAN POOL – Access all)

1. RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN GETTING OUT CAR, BEING WELCOMED BY CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING

2. WIDE SHOT OF THE GREAT HALL OF PEOPLE

3. PUTIN GREETING CHINESE OFFICIALS

4. WIDE SHOT OF THE GREAT HALL OF PEOPLE

5. XI GREETING RUSSIAN DELEGATION

6. WIDE SHOT OF THE GREAT HALL OF PEOPLE

7. VARIOUS OF XI AND PUTIN WALKING

8. VARIOUS OF JUBILANT GROUPS OF CHILDREN WAVING, XI AND PUTIN WELCOMING CHILDREN

9. SOLDIERS MARCHING PAST XI AND PUTIN

10. VARIOUS OF XI AND PUTIN WATCHING SOLDIERS MARCHING

11. VARIOUS OF MILITARY BAND MARCHING PAST XI AND PUTIN

12. VARIOUS OF OF XI AND PUTIN LEAVING SQUARE AND WALKING UP STEPS TO THE GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE