Chinese youths greet Putin on arrival in Beijing

Putin arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport around 11:15 p.m. (15:15 GMT) on Tuesday, where he was greeted by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and a military band.

Amid Iran war disruptions, Russia wants to lock in deals at higher prices while China wants alternative energy sources

Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to China from May 19 to 20 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

It was a near-mirror image of Trump's arrival days earlier, with both leaders stepping out of their planes onto a red carpet as Chinese youths chanted "welcome, welcome" — this time, waving Russian flags instead of American.