Russian President Vladimir Putin met and held talks with his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping on Friday on the sidelines of the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing.
The Russian leader whom Xi referred to as 'my closest friend' in a speech at the ceremony, was conferred an honorary doctorate degree from the Chinese premier's alma mater, Tsinghua University.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the second Belt and Road forum, Putin denounced the recent global “rise in protectionism” and praised the efforts of the Belt and Road project to establish a multilateral mechanism for trade and economic cooperation.
Reuters
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