Vladimir Putin's meeting with Xi Jinping marked by 'visible tension' amid Ukraine war

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News Article :-
Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, made a determined effort to display unity during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, despite apparent tension, says a body language expert.

Putin visited Beijing, one of Russia's strongest allies and trading partners, amidst the ongoing devastating offensive in Ukraine by Russian forces.

During his two-day trip to visit his ally, he expressed gratitude to Xi for China's proposals to end the war, which have been dismissed by Ukraine and its Western allies as largely echoing the Kremlin's stance.
Body language expert Judi James noted that the meeting between the two leaders was marked by "visible tension," primarily from Putin's side, while Xi appeared to be a gracious host.

Speaking to the Mirror, Judi said: "There's clearly an attempt to register unity here, with most of the effort appearing to come from Putin while Xi adopts the more polite smiles and welcoming behavior of a good host."
The visit, which was largely symbolic and ceremonial, underscored the alliance between the two nations who both face challenges in their relationships with the US and Europe. Although Putin and Xi stated they were seeking an end to the war, they did not offer any new proposals in their public comments.

In a grand display at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, Xi Jinping made it clear in his statement to the press: "China hopes for the early return of Europe to peace and stability and will continue to play a constructive role toward this."
China, while claiming to be neutral in the Ukraine conflict, appears to be backing Russia's stance that it was provoked into military action and continues to supply weapon manufacturing components.
Vladimir Putin was greeted with a grand military display in Tiananmen Square, complete with cannon salutes, before his meeting. Putin had previously voiced hope for China's proposal, saying it could "lay the groundwork for a political and diplomatic process that would take into account Russia's security concerns and contribute to achieving a long-term and sustainable peace."
Body language expert Judi commented on the Putin-Xi dynamic, noting: "There is some tension visible from Putin with his one hand that seems to be balled into a fist, while his projected signals tend to be all about cheek-rounding mouth smiles and crinkled eye-smiles to suggest high levels of desired bonhomie here."

She further dissected Xi's greeting, remarking: "Xi's handshake involves his torso facing front toward the camera and his right hand extended to the side, making Putin look rather lower in status for this pose but Putin's dimpled smile suggests he's happy to be seen clenching hands with the Chinese leader here."

In 2023, China, rather than condemning the invasion, proposed an ambiguously worded peace plan. This plan suggested a cease-fire and direct discussions between Moscow and Kyiv, but it was rejected by Ukraine along with Western countries as it didn't demand Russian withdrawal from occupied Ukrainian territories.
Further, China appeared to mirror Russia's controversial allegations of Nazism in Ukraine.

A joint statement on Thursday emphasised that both nations should safeguard the post-World War II order and "severely condemn the glorification of or even attempts to revive Nazism and militarism."

Russian President Putin has continuously justified the military aggression by vowing to target the "denazification" of Ukraine. He has falsely depicted the Ukrainian government, headed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a Jewish leader whose family was victimised during the Holocaust as neo-Nazis.