A vaunted 'new era' of strategic partnership between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his counterpart Xi Jinping begun in Beijing on Thursday may not exactly have been sealed with a kiss, but it did lead to rare hugs between them.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China on Thursday for talks with Xi Jinping that the Kremlin hopes will deepen a strategic partnership between the two most powerful geopolitical rivals of the United States.

Chinese President Xi Jinping signaled to Vladimir Putin that ties between the two nations remain strong, as the Russian leader embarks on a new term with the war in Ukraine dragging into its third year.

By Bernard Orr and Guy Faulconbridge BEIJING/MOSCOW (Reuters) -Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to work with counterpart Vladimir Putin to "rejuvenate" their countries as the pair started a day of talks in Beijing,

After sealing pledges of a "new era" of strategic partnership with China's Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday is set to highlight the growing importance of trade near the Russian border in China's northeast.