Putin left Beijing with declarations of enduring friendship with China and a stack of bilateral agreements — but without the energy breakthrough Moscow desperately sought.

China's Xi Jinping welcomed Vladimir Putin in Beijing, touted the countries' "unyielding" ties, and took a loosely veiled jab at Trump's policies.

China rolled out the red carpet for the US and Russian presidents in near-identical ceremonies.

“Xi has consolidated this position that Great Power politics now must go through Beijing,” one expert tells TIME.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a joint statement in Beijing on Wednesday (May 20) aimed at further enhancing comprehensive strategic coordination and deepening good neighbourliness and friendly cooperation between the two countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin left Beijing with no sign of a breakthrough on a natural gas pipeline project with the potential to reshape global energy flows and geopolitics.