Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived at the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, where he was personally received by his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, ahead of the start of talks between the two leaders. An honor guard and a musical band participated in the official reception ceremony, in addition to dozens of children carrying flowers and the flags of Russia and China. During his talks with Xi in the capital, Beijing, Putin said, “The main driver of economic cooperation is Russian-Chinese interaction in the energy sector,” adding that “in the midst of the crisis in the Middle East, Russia continues to maintain its role as a reliable supplier of energy, while China continues its role as a responsible consumer of these resources.” The Russian President stressed that relations between the two countries have reached an "unprecedented level." For his part, Xi Jinping told Putin regarding the situation in the Middle East that "stopping the war will help reduce disruption to energy supplies and the international trading system."