Watch: Did Trump and Putin get the same treatment in China?
China's President Xi Jinping welcomed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin with a lavish ceremony in Beijing complete with national flags, a marching band and cheering children.
It comes after a visit from Donald Trump last week, which began with a near-identical welcome ceremony for the US president - despite Beijing's very different relationships with Washington and Moscow.
The BBC's China correspondent Laura Bicker breaks down the diplomatic meaning behind the two warm welcomes.




















