China and Russia’s leaders lauded on Wednesday the progress in their strategic ties, as they met in Beijing for summit talks where Moscow is expected to push for stronger energy links.

President Xi Jinping welcomed President Vladimir Putin with an honour guard and a gun salute at the Great Hall of the People, as children waved Chinese and Russian ​flags. Alongside formal talks, the ‌pair are expected to cap the day with an intimate meeting over tea.

Coming on the heels of US President Donald Trump’s visit to ⁠the Chinese capital, the optics and outcomes of the summit between the Chinese and Russian presidents will be closely scrutinised and compared.

Xi hailed China and Russia’s “unyielding” ties in talks with Putin on Wednesday and said the two countries should focus on long-term strategy and promote a “more just and reasonable” global governance system, according to a transcript ‌from Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

“The reason China-Russia relations have reached this level is because we have been able to deepen political mutual trust and ⁠strategic cooperation,” Xi said at the start of his meeting with Putin.

Putin said their relations were helping ensure global stability and stressed that Russia remained a reliable energy supplier amid Middle East disruption.

The Russian leader told his Chinese counterpart that relations between their countries had reached and “unprecedentedly high level” despite “unfavourable external factors”, without naming any third country, video from Russian media showed.

Following what Beijing called a “small-scale meeting” between the two leaders, Xi on Wednesday said further hostilities in the Middle East are “inadvisable” and called for a “comprehensive” ceasefire, Chinese state media reported.

“A comprehensive ceasefire is of utmost urgency, resuming hostilities is even more inadvisable and maintaining negotiations is particularly important,” Xi told Putin, according to Xinhua news agency.