Russian leader Vladimir Putin said his ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping are at an "unprecedented level" as the two met in Beijing on the eve of a massive military parade. Putin described Xi as a dear friend;

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has sat down with Vladimir Putin in their first formal bilateral meeting since the Russian leader arrived in China for a rare four-day visit on Sunday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged leaders at a regional summit to leverage their "mega-scale market" on Monday, while Russian President Vladimir Putin showed support for Xi's ambition for a new global security and economic order that poses a challenge to the United States.

China's Xi Jinping hosted Russia's Vladimir Putin in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where Putin hailed what he said were "unprecedented" ties.