Beijing: China’s leader Xi Jinping and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin held official talks Thursday, after a full military welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People.

Xi highly praised the “comprehensive strategic cooperation” between China and Russia, and called for the two sides to further strengthen the bilateral ties and enrich the content of cooperation.

Putin’s trip comes as Russia’s forces have pressed an offensive in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region that began last week in the most significant border incursion since the special military operation began, forcing almost 8,000 people to flee their homes.

China claims to take a neutral position in the conflict, but has backed Moscow's contentions that Russia was provoked by the West, despite Putin's public avowals of his desire to restore Russia's century-old borders as the reason for his assault.