MOSCOW - Chinese President Xi Jinping left Moscow on Wednesday after a summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, that the two leaders hailed as a “new era” in their relationship, Russian news agencies reported.

The Chinese leader’s plane left Moscow’s Vnukovo airport after a send-off by a guard of honour who played the Russian and Chinese national anthems, said the RIA Novosti news agency.

High-ranking Russian government officials attended the send-off.

Mr Putin and Mr Xi hailed a “new era” in their relationship during the visit and discussed Beijing’s proposals to end the Ukraine conflict.

Western countries have said China’s peace proposals could enable Moscow to freeze much of the territory it has seized in Ukraine.

Mr Xi’s Moscow visit has been viewed as a boost for Mr Putin, who is subject to an International Criminal Court warrant over accusations of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children. AFP