Following a meeting in Beijing with President Xi, Putin said ties between China and Russia were at an “unprecedentedly high level”, while Xi described relations as “unyielding”.

The Chinese leader also made an apparent swipe at the US when he warned of “unilateral and hegemonic countercurrents running rampant” in the international system.

Regarding the conflict in the Middle East, Xi told Putin that the region was at a “critical juncture” and called for an “early end to the conflict”, in particular to secure energy supplies.

“A comprehensive ceasefire is of utmost urgency, resuming hostilities is even more inadvisable and maintaining negotiations is particularly important,” Xi said.

When discussing the disruption to global energy supply caused by Iran’s near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Putin described the energy sector as “the locomotive of economic cooperation”, adding that Russia would remain a “reliable supplier” of resources to China against the backdrop of the war.