Xi welcomes Putin and touts "unyielding" ties on heels of Trump's visit

World Xi welcomes Putin, touts "unyielding" Russia-China ties and warns "hegemonic countercurrents running rampant" May 20, 2026 / 10:00 AM EDT / CBS/AFP Add CBS News on Google Beijing  —China's President Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin met Wednesday in Beijing, just days after President Trump left the Chinese capital. The two major U.S. adversaries sought to underscore their close ties with a host of business deals - and to show a united front against "unilateral and hegemonic countercurrents" amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.   Below are some key takeaways from the talks between the two leaders in Bejing. China lauds "unyielding" ties with Russia, and takes a jab at U.S.Xi and Putin — who have met dozens of times over the past decade — were keen to showcase their unshakeable relations in the aftermath of Mr. Trump's visit to Beijing. Neither leader referred to the United States directly on Wednesday, but Putin said ties were at an "unprecedentedly high level," while Xi described the two nations' relations as "unyielding." Russia's President Vladimir Putin and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands during a signing ceremony following talks in Beijing, China, May 20, 2026, in a pool photograph distributed by the Russian state news agency Sputnik. Alexander KAZAKOV/POOL/AFP/Getty The Chinese leader also took a loosely veiled swipe at the Mr. Trump's policies, warning of "unilateral and hegemonic countercurrents running rampant" in the international system. And while Mr. Trump left Beijing with few concrete announcements, Xi and Putin signed a slew of agreements on trade, media, and energy. They said they were extending their treaty of "friendly cooperation," and both leaders lauded their countries' special ties. Putin also invited Xi to visit Russia next year, and said he intended to be at November's APEC summit in Shenzhen, which Mr. Trump has also said he will try to attend. China says "comprehensive ceasefire" in Ira...