Putin hails Russia’s ties with China as ‘stabilizing’ force in the world

Russian President Vladimir Putin touted his country’s relations with China as a “stabilizing” force in the world as he began a two-day state visit Thursday designed to portray him and Chinese President Xi Jinping as leaders offering an alternative to the U.S.-led world order.

The two leaders are at loggerheads with the liberal democratic order on multiple fronts: Western governments have been putting pressure on Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine — and for Beijing to stop supporting the war, diplomatically and materially — while China is being accused of unfair trading practices that upset the global economic order.