Rosenberg: Putin enjoys Xi's Chinese welcome but heads home without pipeline deal

"My dear friend."

— Vladimir Putin , Politician

"My old friend."

— Xi Jinping , Politician

"The spirit of Beijing exists."

— Yuri Ushakov , Other

""My dear friend," said Putin to Xi."

— Vladimir Putin , Politician

""My old friend," said Xi to Putin."

— Xi Jinping , Politician

""The spirit of Beijing exists," Putin's foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said on the sidelines of the summit."

— Yuri Ushakov , Other

"In a way, it’s much more of a symbolic visit, but in foreign policy and big politics symbols mean a lot."

— Temur Umarov , Academic

"This meeting was not supposed to be about attaining 'consequential outcomes.'"

— Temur Umarov , Academic

"The ability to go to China and have this conversation and show that he’s not isolated, that one of the most powerful countries in the world continues to have his back, is meaningful."

— Joseph Torigian , Academic

"We are committed to independent and autonomous foreign policies, operate in close strategic partnership and play an important stabilizing role on the global stage."

— Vladimir Putin , Politician

"We must beware of the damage caused by unilateral actions and hegemony."

— Xi Jinping , Politician

"Xi does appear to hold the stronger position relative to both Putin and Trump."

— Patricia Kim , Academic

"An early end to the conflict will help reduce disruptions to energy supply stability, the smooth flow of industrial and supply chains, and international trade order."

— Xi Jinping , Politician

"The driving force behind economic cooperation is Russian-Chinese collaboration in the energy sector."

— Vladimir Putin , Politician

"In the current tense situation on the international stage, our close cooperation is particularly in demand."

— Vladimir Putin , Politician

"The message is clearly one that China maintains friendship and strategic partnership with whichever power it likes, and the USA is just one of them."

— Steve Tsang , Academic

"China and Russia must remain strategic strongholds for each other and pledged deeper coordination in areas including artificial intelligence and technological innovation."

— Xi Jinping , Politician

"Russia was prepared to continue uninterrupted oil and gas supplies to China and described bilateral trade as insulated from external influence and instability in global markets."

— Vladimir Putin , Politician