BEIJING – Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin framed their countries' ties as a stabilizing force in a chaotic world as they met on Thursday in Beijing, where the Russian president is seeking greater Chinese support for his war in Ukraine and his nation's isolated economy.It is Putin's first trip abroad since his March reelection and the second in just over six months to China, an economic lifeline for Russia after the West hit it with unprecedented sanctions over its war in Ukraine.
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned China's support for Russia's 'brutal war of aggression' in Ukraine had helped Russia ramp up production of rockets, drones and tanks — while stopping short of direct arms exports.China claims to be a neutral party in the conflict, which it has never condemned and in which it has sought to frame itself as a mediator.