Cheering children - check. Military honour guard – check. Cannon fire and marching band - check.
Vladimir Putin's welcome outside the Great Hall of the People was a near mirror image of the reception for Donald Trump last week.
Two high-stakes presidential visits, just days apart, is exactly the image Xi Jinping wants to project to the world: talking to everyone, tied to no-one.
For China, these visits are proof that because of its massive economy and new-found diplomatic clout all roads now lead to Beijing.
The new era of world affairs is less centered around the West, says Samir Puri from Kings College London.
There is a lot of latent power that China has on the world stage, it's not necessarily using it in its most direct form to settle conflicts, instead China's style is to try to utilise its stature in a more gradual sense.
Putin's positive reception comes amid growing economic ties, but the stark reality reveals an unequal partnership. Talks concluded with over 20 agreements on trade and technology, yet the stalled Russian gas pipeline remained unapproved.
Xi appeared to have the upper hand as he negotiated deals with both Trump and Putin, indicating China's newfound power in global diplomacy.
This week of high-profile diplomacy underscores Xi's ambitions while also revealing the challenges ahead, as China's assertive stance could provoke skepticism on the international stage.
Currently established as an essential player in global markets, China navigates its relationships carefully, particularly with the backdrop of the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
