Putin discusses Trump with Xi privately at SCO summit

Vladimir Putin received the red carpet treatment as he arrived in China for a regional security summit that hopes to counter Western influence over global affairs.

- BRYONY GOOCH

The Russian leader, on a rare four-day visit to Moscow’s largest trading partner, was met with a warm welcome from top-ranking city officials in the northern port city of Tianjin yesterday.

Shortly after his arrival, Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping held a sideline meeting in which they discussed recent contacts between Moscow and Washington, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told Russian media.

The two-day summit will see 20 leaders from across central Asia, southeast Asia, south Asia, and the Middle East gather for a powerful show of global South solidarity.

It is believed to be the largest gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) since the group was established in 2001 among six Eurasian nations.