TMTPOST -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held a grand welcome ceremony for his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday morning in Beijing, marking the start of a two-day state visit. Just four days after U.S. President Donald Trump departed Beijing, Putin’s 25th visit highlights China’s position as a global diplomatic axis. The leaders will mark the 25th anniversary of their bilateral friendship treaty, focusing heavily on expanding natural gas pipeline capacity and navigating the geopolitical fallout of the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Iran.