Old friends: Putin and Xi during their meeting in Beijing. Kim (inset) will join them at a massive military parade today. — AP
President Xi Jinping convened his Russian and North Korean counterparts in Beijing for the first time, a show of solidarity with countries shunned by the West over their role in Europe’s worst war in 80 years.
Xi hosted Vladimir Putin for talks at the Great Hall of the People and then at his personal residence, calling him his “old friend”.
