On Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping received in Beijing his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, who is visiting China on the occasion of the “New Silk Roads” summit, which was overshadowed by the war launched by Israel on the Gaza Strip.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said, "President Xi Jinping received President Vladimir Putin upon his arrival, and the two presidents held a short conversation."

During a state banquet, Xi referred to recent geopolitical conflicts, but stressed that "the historical trend of peace... cannot be stopped."

Putin is scheduled to hold talks with Xi on the sidelines of the forum on Wednesday, according to the Kremlin, which stressed that special focus will be on international and regional issues.

China is Russia's largest trading partner, while the volume of trade exchange between the two countries reached a record amount of $190 billion last year, according to Beijing customs data.

Beijing has drawn criticism from Western countries because of its position on the Ukrainian war, which Beijing insists is neutral about.

The Belt and Road Initiative forum provides a new opportunity for Putin and Xi to demonstrate their alliance, as China values Russia's role as a bulwark against the West, while Moscow increasingly relies on Moscow's trade and geopolitical support.

The Gaza war is present

The war in Gaza is looming over the summit of Xi and Putin, who informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday, Monday, that the Kremlin wants to help prevent a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, in light of its involvement in discussing the Middle East crisis through a series of phone calls with concerned parties in the region.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday confirmed Putin's view that the explosion of violence between Israel and the Palestinians reflects the failure of American policy in the Middle East, and described the tragedy unfolding as a result of the conflict as a product of the countries' positions rejecting the problem.

He continued, "The main thing is to stop the raging war, and then deal with the settlement process in principle with new efforts. There is a need for an independent Palestinian state, and Israel needs security guarantees, and the Israelis should live in peace and feel safe."

The agencies quoted Peskov as saying that Putin does not yet have a peace plan for the conflict, adding that it needs to be formulated.

A Russian draft resolution submitted to the Security Council calling for a humanitarian truce in Gaza failed to pass yesterday, Monday.

In return, the United States asked China to use its influence to help reduce the escalation in the war waged by Israel on Gaza, which has so far left about 3,000 martyrs and more than 12,500 injured.

China is scheduled to send its Middle East envoy, Zhai Jun, to the troubled region this week in an effort to reach a ceasefire and hold peace talks.