Xi also comments on the Israel-Gaza war.

China earlier talked about a two-state solution and Xi repeated that today, saying it was the only option for lasting regional piece.

He says both he and the Russian president agreed that resolving the situation in Israel and Gaza was of "utmost urgency".

"A new security framework has to be established in relation to the Israel-Gaza war", Xi says.

Image source, POOL

"We welcome Chinese carmakers in our market," Putin tells the news conference now.

Beijing has become Moscow's key supplier of cars, clothing and many other products, after Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia.

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

Image source, Reuters

Putin says now that both countries were "deepening peaceful nuclear cooperation", but did not give any more information.

He says that there were "concrete plans for deepening energy cooperation", adding that energy was one of Russia's "priorities".

Image source, POOL

Putin is still speaking.

He thanks his Chinese colleagues for a “warm” and “friendly” reception, adding that the talks were “pragmatic”.

He also touches on issues of trade, saying that Russia has increased food exports to China.

Putin says that Russia's priorities were trade and investment, and that the share of yuan and rouble in Russian trade with Chinese had exceeded 90%.

Before he handed the mic over to Putin, President Xi Jinping also spoke about the increased trade numbers between China and Russia.

He says that cooperation would be the driving force to build a new pattern of mutual benefit.

Xi adds that he and Putin both agreed the two countries needed to actively find a convergence of interests.

He says they would also work to build the foundation for a network of scientific cooperation, and maintain the stability of the global industrial and supply chains.

Russia's President Putin is now speaking. He says it is only "logical" that his first foreign trip since assuming the presidency is to China, according to a translation by Reuters.

Putin says that his partnership with China is an example of how relations should work, adding that he is in constant contact with Xi.

Image source, POOL

Xi says now that China and Russia's partnership has been based on "mutual respect" and a "confluence of interests".

The two countries have accorded equal treatment to one another and the partnership has been mutually-fulfilling, he adds.

The Chinese president is the first to speak.

He opens by remarking on the two countries' long history and connections.

He says the two nations are deepening mutual trust and support for one another.

Image source, POOL

Image source, .

The two leaders have appeared in front of the gathered media after a morning of meetings.

Image source, Getty Images

Much has been made of the two nations increasingly handling trade in their own currencies rather than US dollars. Putin told Xi that such a "timely" decision has helped boost trade between Russia and China.

"Today, 90% of all payments are already made in roubles and yuan," Putin said.

Putin had wanted to discuss details of plans to tighten up financial settlement schemes using yuan, says analyst Natasha Kuhrt from Kings College London.

While Putin has stressed both rouble and yuan payments, she says currently 70% of all the trade is done in the Chinese currency.

Image source, Getty Images

Putin’s trip has put the spotlight on Harbin, also known as China’s Ice city, which he is due to visit on Friday.

It is the capital of Heilongjiang province, in the country’s extreme north-east.

Harbin is famous for its winter attractions. Its annual Ice and Snow Festival, which runs from December to February, features the world’s biggest ice sculptures. It has recently become the country’s most popular tourist spot during winter.

The city also boasts of a rich Russian heritage, owing to a wave of Russian immigrants in the 1900s.

Their influence can be seen in Harbin’s architecture. One of Harbin’s landmarks, Saint Sophia Cathedral, is a former Russian Orthodox church built in 1907.

Harbin’s locals are familiar with Russian and Eastern European fare such as borscht, a rich, bright red stew. Local favourites such as hongchang or red sausage and dalieba bread were adapted from Russian recipes.

Image source, Getty Images

We reported earlier that a press conference was due to kick off between the two leaders. That's now been delayed as a meeting between them seems to be going on much longer than expected.

CCTV, China's state broadcaster, had earlier said the press conference was due to start at noon on Thursday (04:00 GMT). It's now 13:40 in Beijing.

A CCTV livestream of the event is ongoing, with a presenter mentioning every few minutes that the two leaders will join the press conference soon.

You’re probably familiar wtih Eurovision but have you heard of Intervision?

Intervision was a short-lived annual singing contest that ran from the late 1970s to the 1980s that served as the Eastern bloc's answer to the Western-led pop music extravaganza.

And it looks like it might be making its way back on TV, as Putin declared in an earlier interview with state news outlet Xinhua, external that he was working on large projects with China, including Intervision.

“China is the key partner in this project, which aims to spread and popularise national song schools”, said Putin.

Before Putin's statement to Xinhua, the revival of Intervision had been reported by Russia's official news agency TASS, who says that Russia is scheduled to host this year's Intervision music contest, with organisers looking at seven countries to participate.

This is Putin's first trip in his fifth term as president, so he'll want to "make a success out of it", said Matthew Sussex, a specialist in strategic and defence studies.

"I think what he wants to do is negotiate with the Chinese about ways in which the two countries can perhaps get around some of the Western sanctions," Dr Sussex, an Associate Professor of Strategic and Defence Studies at the Australian National University, told BBC's Newsday.

Chinese exports to Russia have dipped in recent months, he said, and Chinese banks have become "somewhat leery" about taking payments from Russian banks

"[Putin] will want to ensure that the trade relationship with the PRC remains very much on track."

China will continue to exercise "straddle diplomacy" over the Russia-Ukraine war, in which it has publicly called for an end to the hostilities, but continues to support Moscow, said Dr Sussex.

"It's not an enormous price to pay, I think, if you're Xi Jinping, considering the types of resource benefits that a relationship with Russia can bring," he said.

Laura Bicker
Reporting from Beijing

Image source, Getty Images

If the West want to stop Russia’s offensive in Ukraine – this is the partnership that they need to break up.

As the two leaders hold various talks and sign some agreements, analysts will be looking for clues if this will increase trade between them and what kind of trade that could be.

President Xi has good reasons not to cave in to growing pressure from Brussels and Washington and in his words – to “cherish” this relationship.

Ideologically, he stands with his “old friend” Putin as they stand together to counter what they see as a US led world order.

China also desperately needs Russian imports of cheap energy – oil and gas.

But in recent weeks Xi has come under increasing pressure from both Washington and Brussels to, at the very least, stop providing components Russia can use in its war effort.

The words from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken were – “if China does not act, we will.”

Xi says he is ready to work with his “good neighbour, good friend and good partner”. But he has refrained from describing the relationship in the lofty terms of his Russian counterpart who said ties were at an “unprecedented level.”

If you watch the video above, you can see just how grand a welcome it was for Putin on the forecourt of the Great Hall of the People.

The two leaders did laps of the red-carpet path and stood side by side under a red-and-yellow fringed awning in the centre during military performances and songs.

Special musical arrangements were made - with the Chinese marching band playing the Red Army choir classic- Moscow Evenings - a waltz-like Soviet song.

Chinese state TV is also reporting that Russian children, as well as Chinese children were included in the welcome crowd. We saw that section of the crowd burst into choreographed cheers when Xi and Putin walked past.

The show was all designed to "show thoughtfulness to the old friend", Chinese media reported.

A press conference from the two leaders just been announced. It is currently just coming up to 13:00 in Beijing - we'll bring you the latest as we have it.

Image source, CGTN

According to news agency Reuters, newly-appointed Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, his predecessor and now Secretary of Security Council Sergei Shoigu, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov are in Putin's delegation.

Analysts say that the visit is an opportunity for Putin to introduce his revamped cabinet and to stress continuity in the relationship with China. Most key members in his cabinet with experience dealing with their China counterparts have either remained in their roles or have been elevated.

He is also bringing a large trade delegation with him, including Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina and leaders of state-owned enterprises.

Sberbank CEO German Gref, businessman Oleg Deripaska, VTB chief Andrei Kostin, Rosneft chief Igor Sechin and Novatek boss Leonid Mikhelson are some among the list.

Image source, Reuters

Xi and Putin have moved on to "large group talks" involving trade and business members, according to state media CCTV.

Following this, they are expected to sign some trade agreements. A key thing to watch out for is whether China will moderate its economic support for Russia so as to manage the threats of the EU and US sanctions. And if so, how?

Any new deals involving energy, food, and transport corridors are the most reliable indicators of a deepening of the partnership, said China expert Philipp Ivanov from the Asia Society Policy Institute.

"Our assessment is that China will not dramatically limit its economic support but will seek more covert channels of providing it – through, for example, third-country transit and transactions," he said.

Image source, CCTV

Xi notes it's the 75th anniversary of China and Russia's diplomatic relationship and that he and Putin have met on dozens of occasions.

"Over the past years, President Putin and I have met over 40 times, maintaining close communication to strategically guide China-Russia relations to develop in a sound, stable and smooth manner."

He notes that their relations today "have not come easy" and both sides need to "cherish and safeguard them even more." The two country's relations benefit the whole world, he said.

"In the new journey ahead, China is willing to always be Russia's trustworthy good neighbour, good friend and good partner, strengthening generation-after-generation friendship between the two peoples and jointly achieving rejuvenation of their respective countries as well as upholding justice in the world."