London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

China's Xi Jinping Hosts Banquet For World Leaders After 2 Years Of Isolation

China's Xi Jinping Hosts Banquet For World Leaders After 2 Years Of Isolation

China has largely closed its borders for the last two years in a zero-Covid strategy that has seen daily infections dwindle.
Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted a banquet on Saturday for heads of state and international organisations attending the Winter Olympics, part of a diplomatic blitz following nearly two years without face-to-face meetings due to the pandemic.

Dozens of dignitaries -- many from autocratic nations friendly to Beijing -- were treated to musical performances and a traditional handicrafts display alongside the meal at the Great Hall of the People, state media reported.

Xi has launched a diplomatic marathon in the leadup to the Games, meeting with Russian president and "old friend" Vladimir Putin on Friday and attending the Olympics opening ceremony later in the day with dozens of foreign guests.

This week's meetings are a striking change for Xi, who has avoided travelling abroad or meeting foreign visitors face-to-face since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

China has largely closed its borders for the last two years in a zero-Covid strategy that has seen daily infections dwindle.

Beijing is keen to shore up international support and pull off a Games that will burnish its reputation, despite multiple countries including the United States, Australia, Britain and Canada announcing diplomatic boycotts over China' rights record.

Besides Putin, the banquet guestlist included Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as well as a handful of leaders from Europe and Asia Pacific, according to Chinese state media.

Heads of international bodies including the World Health Organization's Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, whom state media said was among the Olympic torchbearers, were also invited.

The Chinese president had individual meetings with leaders on the sidelines of the banquet on Saturday, reaffirming his support for Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Beijing praised Tokayev's "strong measures" against protesters earlier this year after the Kazakh leader took a hardline approach to quell demonstrations -- including authorising his forces to shoot to kill.

Official photos showed a massive banquet table featuring a miniature winter landscape as its centrepiece, lit from above by crystal chandeliers.

CCTV showed masked guests including International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach inspecting traditional clay figurines and painted kites in the Great Hall of the People as a Chinese musical group played.

Xi was photographed greeting and posing for photographs with Putin on Friday with both men going maskless, even though the Russian leader had skipped the lengthy quarantine period normally required in China for people arriving from overseas.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
×