While Putin is seeking to reinforce Moscow's alliance with Beijing this week, Russian troops have been advancing in their assault on north-eastern Ukraine.

On 10 May, Russian forces penetrated the border area north of Ukraine’s second largest city of Kharkiv. They have since taken a number of villages not far from the frontier, and are trying to push forward as Ukraine’s outgunned forces try to shore up a weakened front line.

Russia’s force in Ukraine now numbers more than half a million, leaving Ukraine’s military outmanned as well as outgunned.

Even as Putin pursues gains on the ground, there have been signs that the Kremlin could be prepared to return to peace talks abandoned two years ago.

In an interview with Chinese state news agency Xinhua earlier this week, Putin said Moscow is "open to a dialogue on Ukraine".

"But such negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including ours," he said.

You can read more about the war in Ukraine here.

Image source, Getty Images

Before Putin arrived in Harbin today, Xi hosted him at Zhongnanhai, a compound where China's leaders work and reside. It's the rough equivalent of the White House in Washington.

The two leaders took a stroll, sipped tea, and had "in-depth exchanges on strategic issues of common concern", reported China's state news agency Xinhua.

Beyond the issues discussed, the fact that Xi hosted Putin at Zhongnanhai is symbolic. Once a playground of Chinese emperors and their concubines, Zhongnanhai is today home to the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party and the residences of its top leaders.

Analysts have told the BBC that leaders would typically host only their closer allies in the compound.

In 2014, Xi met former US President Barack Obama in Zhongnanhai. A year later, he met with King Philippe of Belgium there. He has not invited many foreign leaders to the compound in recent years.

Xi and Putin met yesterday in front of the Yingtai Bridge, which was built during the Ming dynasty. During the Qing dynasty which was established after that, emperors met guests, discussed documents and proposals from officials at Yingtai, making it a significant policy-making spot outside the Forbidden City.

Image source, Getty Images

The two leaders wrapped up day one of Vladimir Putin’s visit to China with a stroll through Beijing’s Zhongnanhai Park. They sipped tea and later, shared a hug in front of cameras.

In an earlier interview with state news outlet Xinhua, the Russian leader made rare mention of his family, saying they are interested in China and that some of them are even learning how to speak Chinese.

Putin said he knew “quite a bit” about Chinese martial arts and that he respects Chinese philosophy.

He said he was “always eager to discover China’s unique and authentic traditions”, specially during his visits to the country.

Image source, Getty Images

During his time in Harbin, Putin will visit a China-Russia trade fair to underscore the strength of economic links between the two countries.

Harbin is the capital of China's north-eastern Heilongjiang province, which shares a border with Russia. The city was founded by Russian settlers in the 1900s and once had the nickname "Little Moscow".

Harbin, together with the wider province, was taken by Japan in 1931 but retaken in 1945 by Soviet forces, who returned it to Chinese control.

The city's centre is marked by the towering St Sophia Cathedral, a former Russian Orthodox church. In winter, tourists flock to Harbin for an annual Ice and Snow Festival and many would pose for photos in front of the cathedral.

In Harbin, Putin is expected to lay a wreath at a memorial to Soviet soldiers who died during the liberation of the north-east of China in the 1940s. Online posts from locals suggest that the city has been thoroughly cleaned and the memorial repainted for the Russian leader's visit.

The Russian leader will also visit the Harbin Institute of Technology, a site of scientific exchange between China and Russia.

The city of Harbin itself conducts a lot of trade with Russia and some of the ten million people living there choose to learn Russian. There is also a park named after the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.

Yvette Tan
Live editor

Image source, Getty Images

Hello and welcome back to our live coverage, as Russia's President Vladimir Putin kicks off the second and final day of his visit to China.

He has now landed in Harbin, a city in the north-east, also known as China's "little Moscow" for its large Russian population.

Today, he will visit a memorial to Soviet soldiers who died during the liberation of the city in the 1940s. He will also be attending two China-Russia business conferences.

The Russian leader touched down in China's capital city Beijing on Thursday, where he was greeted by his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping - with a red-carpet welcome complete with Red Army songs. Putin and Xi praised their friendship and deep ties in a joint appearance before the media on Thursday.

The meeting between the two leaders - the third in just over a year - comes as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has raged on for more than two years

Stay with us as we bring you updates and expert analysis from our teams in China, Russia and Singapore.

A strong show of unity on display in Beijingpublished at 11:06 British Summer Time 16 May

11:06 BST 16 May

Laura Bicker
China correspondent in Beijing

Image source, Reuters

The Chinese President Xi Jinping and his guest President Vladimir Putin will enjoy a concert together as they end their day of warm words about “deepening their partnership”.

But the language from Beijing has not reached the lofty heights of Moscow’s initial statement, which claimed the relationship was at an "unprecedented” level.

Instead, Xi told his Russian counterpart that he cherished the relationship and wanted to nurture it. This will be welcome news to Putin as China has become his lifeline after the West imposed sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.

A strong show of unity has been on display, with Xi saying China is willing to support the "rejuvenation of our respective countries", while Putin has said their joint co-operation was a “stabilising factor” in the world.

These statements surely aim to challenge the US-led world order, but will be met with derision in the West where Putin is being investigated as a war criminal.

Xi says he is willing to be a good friend to Russia, but he also has his own priorities. Washington stands ready to impose sanctions on Beijing if it continues to help Russia’s war machine.

Yes, he has rolled out the red carpet for his comrade, complete with Red Army songs. And yes, the two stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the sunshine of Tiananmen Square.

But if Putin wants more from this relationship, it might be more than Xi is willing to give when China is relying on exports to revive its sluggish economy.

We now are ending our live coverage of the first day of President Vladimir Putin's two-day visit to China - his first international visit since securing a fifth term in March.

The Russian president and Chinese leader praised their friendship and deep ties in a joint appearance before the media, while Putin directly thanked Xi for his efforts to resolve the "Ukraine crisis".

This page was written by Frances Mao, Lana Lam, Kelly Ng, Yaroslav Lukov, Aoife Walsh and Fan Wang and was edited by Ayeshea Perera, Yvette Tan, Emily McGarvey, Aparna Alluri and Johanna Chisholm. Thank you for joining us.

Here's a look at some more scenes from today's meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing - the Russian leader's first international visit since the start of his fifth presidential term.

There was a grand welcoming ceremony as well as a joint news briefing.

Putin is due to meet with Xi later tonight in an informal meeting before travelling onward to Harbin in north-east China tomorrow.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, .

As we've been covering, a large portion of the meeting between Putin and Xi focused around the two countries' trade relationship.

That came into much sharper focus after sanctions on Russia led Western companies to close-up shop in Russia, leading Beijing to become Moscow's key supplier of cars, clothing, raw materials, and other products.

Since the war in Ukraine, two-way trade between China and Russia has ballooned. From 2021, the year before the conflict started, it grew 64% to $240bn (£189bn) in 2023.

But the numbers alone don’t provide the full picture.

Some experts say the trade relationship is "lopsided", with Moscow being more dependent on Beijing. In 2023, China became Russia's top trading partner, while Russia is China's sixth-largest trade partner.

It is notable though that the export of Chinese cars and relevant components to Russia surged to $23bn (£18bn) in 2023, according to China’s Customs statistics.

As China boosts its EV industry, Moscow has become a top destination for the glut of gasoline-fuelled models that Beijing's domestic market no longer needs.

A trip about material - and moral - supportpublished at 10:08 British Summer Time 16 May

10:08 BST 16 May

Stephen McDonell
Reporting from Beijing

Image source, Reuters

The Biden administration has accused the Chinese government of supplying significant, direct, and material assistance for Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Now this trip to China is also providing moral support for an increasingly isolated Russian leader who can’t travel to many countries for risk of being arrested and sent to the International Criminal Court.

While here, Putin can present himself to his own people as having the appearance of a statesman rather than that of a pariah.

In midst of an ongoing and bloody war, Putin reportedly told his Chinese counterpart: “Our cooperation in world affairs is one of the main stabilising factors on the international stage. Together we defend the principles of fairness and the democratic world order.”

China’s leader responded that they together “uphold justice in the world”.

Why is Putin going to Harbin tomorrow?published at 09:28 British Summer Time 16 May

09:28 BST 16 May

Laura Bicker
China correspondent in Beijing

As we've just mentioned, Putin is scheduled to travel to the most Russian city in China tomorrow, the north-eastern hub of Harbin.

There he will visit a China-Russia trade fair to underscore the strength of economic links between the two countries.

Harbin once had the nickname of “Little Moscow” and was founded by Russian settlers in the 1900’s.

Although much of the Orthodox-style architecture has gone, it still has the imposing St Sophie Cathedral at the centre of the city.

Tourists flock there for the annual Ice and Snow Festival and some dress up in fairytale-like costumes and pose in front of the cathedral.

The city of Harbin itself conducts a lot of trade with Russia and some of the ten million people living there choose to learn Russian. Putin will surely feel at home.

This will serve as a way of showing off the shared history, shared ties and shared ideology between the two countries.

Image source, SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

It's now just after 16:00 in Beijing and just after 09:00 in London. If you are just joining us, here's a quick recap on the main developments over the past few hours:

• At a joint news briefing, both Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin praised a "strategic" relationship between their two countries

• The Chinese president said Beijing and Moscow agreed there should be a "political solution" to the Russia-Ukraine war, without giving any details. China's peace proposals unveiled last year have been criticised by both Kyiv and its Western allies
• Putin said he would inform Xi about "the situation around the Ukrainian crisis" during their informal meeting in the evening
• China and Russia also hailed their growing bilateral trade, signing a series of new agreements

• Putin arrived in Beijing early on Thursday in what is his first state visit overseas since winning his fifth term in office last March, an election that was widely criticised by the West as undemocratic
• The Kremlin leader was welcomed in a grand ceremony that featured military march pasts, a band playing Soviet songs and children cheering with pompoms
• Putin is next heading to Harbin on Friday, a city in China's north-east known for its rich cultural and historic ties with Russia

What do Chinese people think of Russia’s war in Ukraine?published at 08:51 British Summer Time 16 May

08:51 BST 16 May

Laura Bicker
China correspondent in Beijing

The war in Ukraine does not dominate discussions around Chinese dinner tables.

Many believe the Russian state media narrative that it had no choice and had to invade Ukraine to combat Nato expansion.

Pro-Russian voices are still very strong in China and sympathy for Ukraine is not easy to find on its highly-censored media. But some are trying to change that.

Ukrainian Vita Golod speaks fluent Mandarin and is part of a team that translates news about the war to put out on Chinese social media.

"We wanted to let people know the truth about this war, because we knew at the time there were no Ukrainian media agencies or outlets in China," she tells the BBC on a visit to Beijing.

"People in Ukraine are still suffering, they are still hiding in shelters, still bleeding in trenches. Ukraine needs sanctions on Russia, not beautiful words."

So far, her work has not been censored, which implies some tolerance by the Chinese government.

Earlier, we reported on how Russia's President Putin said he welcomed Chinese carmakers in Russia. It’s a significant statement because it comes just days after the US announced it is quadrupling tariffs on China’s electric vehicles to 100%.

The export of Chinese cars and parts to Russia had already been rising sharply. It hit $23bn (£18bn) in 2023, almost four times as much as the previous year.

"Russian natural gas is fuelling numerous Chinese households, and Chinese-made automobiles are running on Russian roads," China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said last month.

As we mentioned earlier, Xi had said China and Russia agree on a "political solution" to the war in Ukraine.

"China's position on this issue has been clear and consistent, including adherence to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter," he said.

"China hopes to see the early restoration of peace and stability in Europe."

Putin and Xi have finished their news conference without taking questions from the media.

We'll be wrapping up some of the key lines here, so stay with us.

President Putin confirms he discussed the war in Ukraine with the Chinese president.

"There is no space for closed alliances in Asia," he says.

He also says he thanked China for its negotiations over Ukraine, adding: "We are grateful to China for its efforts to resolve the Ukraine crisis" adding that both sides wanted a "political settlement to the crisis".

We can bring you some more lines now from President Putin's speech.

He says that Russia and China's "approaches to many global and regional problems" are similar.

"We both carry out independent foreign policies," he says.

"Our countries are calling for global institutions to be de-politicised."

Xi ends his speech with praising "75 years of persistent accumulation of ever-lasting friendship and all-round cooperation" between the two countries.

It has become a powerful driving force to move forward despite "the wind and the rain", the Chinese president says.

He adds that the two countries would always adhere to their original aspirations, bring benefits to their citizens and make "due contributions" to the stability of the world.