China’s President Xi Jinping began a formal meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Tuesday, March 21, with a reception in Moscow.

Xi arrived in Moscow on Monday for a three-day state visit.

Writing in China’s People’s Daily newspaper on Sunday, Putin said both leaders had “high expectations” for the talks. The two held a four-hour informal meeting on Monday.

They were set to talk about “further development” of bilateral comprehensive partnership and “strategic interaction,” according to Kremlin press release.

The Chinese president’s trip came just days after the International Criminal Court announced a case against Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Credit: Kremlin via Storyful