Xi and Putin highlight their friendship and cooperation on energy and other issues in Beijing visit

BEIJING (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin praised his close ties with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and said their countries are partners in trade and international affairs as they opened bilateral talks Wednesday on his trip to Beijing.

Xi welcomed Putin with a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People only days after meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. The quick succession of Trump’s and Putin’s visits highlighted Beijing’s growing role as an international superpower, experts say.

Putin greeted Xi warmly as they met for bilateral talks at the Great Hall of the People.

“My dear friend,” Putin said. “We are truly delighted to see you. We keep in constant touch, both personally and through our aides in the government.”

Xi also stressed the “political mutual trust and strategic cooperation” between the countries, according to Chinese state media. The two leaders have praised each other profusely in the past, with Xi at one point describing Putin as his “best and most intimate friend.”

Xi and Putin were set to focus on energy and security as well as their overall ties. The two sides agreed to extend a friendship treaty first signed in 2001, Chinese state media reported.

China became Russia’s top trading partner after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Beijing has said it is neutral in the conflict while maintaining trade ties with the Kremlin despite economic and financial sanctions by the U.S. and Europe.

China is the top customer for Russian oil and gas supplies, and Moscow expects the war in Iran to increase the demand.

In his meeting with Xi, Putin stressed their countries’ economic ties.

“The driving force behind economic cooperation is Russian-Chinese collaboration in the energy sector,” Putin said. “Amid the crisis in the Middle East, Russia continues to maintain its role as a reliable supplier of resources, while China remains a responsible consumer of these resources.”

Xi stressed the need of “complete cessation of hostilities” in the Middle East, according to Chinese state media.

“An early end to the conflict will help reduce disruptions to energy supply stability, the smooth flow of industrial and supply chains, and international trade order,” Xi said.

A Russian presidential aide said earlier Russia’s oil exports to China grew by 35% in the first quarter of 2026 and that Russia is one of the biggest exporters of natural gas to China.

Putin also stressed China and Russia’s cooperation in foreign policy as “one of the key stabilizing factors on the international stage.”

“In the current tense situation on the international stage, our close cooperation is particularly in demand,” he said.

In February 2022, just weeks before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China and Russia announced a “no limits” partnership during a trip by Putin to Beijing.

Beijing says it is neutral in the conflict, though in practice it supports Moscow through frequent state visits, growing trade and joint military drills. China has also ignored demands from the West to stop providing high-tech components for Russia’s weapons industries.

The two leaders are scheduled to sign cooperation agreements during Putin’s two-day visit.

But regardless of specific deals, the primary purpose of the visit is to reaffirm the countries’ ties as well as project Beijing’s image as an influential superpower, experts say.

“The optics matter,” said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London.

“The message is clearly one that China maintains friendship and strategic partnership with whichever power it likes, and the USA is just one of them.”

Putin and Xi both need to use their close ties in order to prop up their images at home, said Willy Lam, a senior China fellow at the Jamestown Foundation.

Putin “needs to tell his countrymen and the world that Russia has China’s support in terms of buying its oil and gas and other tangible and intangible financial support,” Lam said.

Meanwhile, for Xi, having both Trump and Putin visit in such close succession is a major source of credit with the country’s top Communist leadership.

Putin noted earlier this month that Moscow and Beijing have reached “a very substantial step forward in our cooperation in the oil and gas sector.”

“Practically all the key issues have been agreed upon,” he said. “If we succeed in finalizing these details and bringing them to a conclusion during this visit, I will be extremely pleased.”

Putin also praised their bilateral relationship as a crucial, balancing force in international relations.

“Interaction between such nations as China and Russia undoubtedly serves as a factor of deterrence and stability,” he said.

Moscow welcomes China’s dialogue with the U.S. as another stabilizing element for the global economy, Putin added.

“We stand only to benefit from this, from the stability and constructive engagement between the U.S. and China,” he said.

Mistreanu reported from Bangkok.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Chinese Premier Li Qiang shake hands during their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (Kristina Solovyova, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a bilateral meeting at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, China, on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, China, on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, China, on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Children holding Russian and Chinese flags walk ahead of a welcoming ceremony for Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (Maxim Shemetov/Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, walks with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (Maxim Shemetov/Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, foreground and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (Maxim Shemetov/Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (Maxim Shemetov/Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping inspect an honor guard during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (Maxim Shemetov/Pool Photo via AP)

SANTOS, Brazil (AP) — As the FIFA World Cup approaches, the image of one of Brazil's most recognizable footballers lives on in Santos, the one-time home of Edson Arantes do Nascimento, far better known as Pelé.

Tourists like Mario Álvarez Gamiño, a 67-year-old retired salesperson from Mexico, flock to Santos to see anything that connects the Brazilian port city to the man. The soccer legend's legacy is everywhere — in vibrant murals by street artist Eduardo Kobra, among the memorabilia of his beloved club and even on posters glued to local lampposts.

“His legacy is fundamental. His life will always be an example to follow,” Álvarez said. “At the moment we have Cristiano Ronaldo ... but he lacks something that Pelé had, which is humility. ... He was really a genius.”

Pelé, who died in 2022 at age 82, played at Santos Futebol Clube for most of his career, from 1956 to 1974. He also played for Brazil's team in the World Cup — including three wins in 1958, 1962 and 1970.

Santos is also home to the Pelé Museum, where fans can learn more about Pelé's life and see various memorabilia, including jerseys and trophies.

“When you tell a foreigner you’re from Santos, the first thing they say is ‘Pelé’. That’s why we at the museum have a great responsibility: to carry the name of Pelé and the city of Santos,” said museum director Paulo Monteiro. "After his death, we now have a greater and more difficult mission, which is to keep his legacy active and alive.”

Many of the more than 400,000 residents of Santos never had the chance to see Pelé in action, but they want the legacy to live on.

Among them is bar owner Anderson Albino.

“As local business owners, we see how much international media comes here and how that draws huge numbers of visitors,” Albino said. “For those of us from the city, it’s a privilege that Pelé played for Santos.”

Savarese reported from Sao Paulo.

AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

People visit the Pele Museum in Santos, Brazil, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Children visit the Pele Museum in Santos, Brazil, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Santos fans walk past a mural of late football legend Pele, right, and Neymar outside Vila Belmiro Stadium in Santos, Brazil, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Santos' Vila Belmiro stadium sits in Santos, Brazil, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

A man sits in front of a mural of late football legend Pele and Neymar at a restaurant in Santos, Brazil, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)