Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed ties with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, as the two face a more geopolitically assertive US government led by Donald Trump, who criticised the Kremlin's war against Ukraine on the first day of his second term as president.

The yearly custom of the two leaders conversing around the new year highlights the two nations strong personal bond, particularly the timing of it this year, as it comes hours after Trump was sworn in

Chinese President Xi Jinping, during a video conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin 'shared his hope for a flourishing China-Russia relationship in the year ahead'