westminster school personal statement

Our Ultimate Guide to Westminster School 16+ Entrance: Tests, Interviews and Tutors for 2024

What to consider before applying to Westminster

Boarding or day.

This decision will be both financial and practical. Being a boarding student at Westminster School can bring a wealth of benefits: no commute time, after-school academic and extra-curricular activities, opportunities to build closer friendships, incredible central London location for weekend activities such as museums, galleries, theatres etc. 

You will find that a lot of the boarders, although they are technically full-time boarders, will go home at the weekends. The school boarding community is a lot smaller at the weekends than it is during the week.  However, the school regularly organises activities for the weekend boarding community too, so you would not be lonely if you did choose to stay in school full time.

Another thing to consider is that even if you are a day pupil, you are able to enjoy many of the benefits available to boarders , such as use of the library until 9pm, use of the sports hall in the evenings and access to all school meals during the week.  

If you are a scholar in College (the scholars’ house) you will have to board, but included within the scholarship is a significant reduction of the fees. There are also bursaries available. Find more information here .  

What A-Level subjects do you want to study?

You will need to inform the school of your A-Level choices before the exams and interviews, because you will be tested and interviewed in each of your subject choices.  

This decision needs to be an authentic reflection of what you would want to study for A-Levels, but there is also an element of strategy involved, since your admissions decision will be based on your performance in these subjects. There is scope for flexibility once admitted - it is quite common for students to switch subjects within the first few weeks. As long as you can prove a high standard of previous study ( A* or 8/9 at GCSE ) and that you will be a motivated student of that subject, the school tend to be pretty understanding when it comes to subject changes. Of course, it is unlikely that you will be able to switch all four, since it will all be dependant on the timetable blocks that are created at the start of the year. However, if you are deciding between two subjects and you know you will perform better in an entrance exam/interview in one rather than the other, select this one for the application process. You can always ask to switch later if offered a place. 

The 16+ Westminster Admissions Process: Overview

Westminster registration.

The online registration for Sixth Form opens the year before entry, usually at the beginning of June, and closes at the end of September of the same year.

Precise registration dates for the following year’s entry are published in February of the year before, so for details for 2025 entry you would need to check at the end of February 2024 for the application dates and details. 

After the registration process, the admissions assessment process consists of two steps:

Exams (Saturday in early November)

Interviews (Saturday in late November)

Offers of admission are sent out in the first week of December. Westminster School operate a waiting list, and wait-listed candidates will be contacted if they are going to be offered a place.

The offer of a place at Westminster School is conditional on the student achieving a minimum of eight (I)GCSE passes at A / 7 grade, of which at least four are at A* / 8-9 in the subjects to be studied at A Level.

Westminster School Sixth Form has an intake of about 200 boys and girls . The number of girls admitted at 16 plus is significantly higher than the number of boys, since this is the only entrance opportunity available to girls. 11 plus entrance, by contrast, is available to boys only.

The Westminster Tests

As part of the registration process, each candidate will be asked to select the four subjects they wish to study at A Level, and in which they will be asked to sit an entrance examination.

Candidates sit examinations in each of the four subjects selected, each lasting 45 minutes.

 These exams tend to be skill-based rather than content-heavy. Being confident in your GCSE syllabus will be important, and you expect the level of difficulty of the exam to be above that of the GCSE exams. However, this is not to say that you need to spend months studying extra content for your four subjects. Instead, work on the key skills necessary to be a successful student in that subject. This might be translation, algebra, balancing equations, reading graphs, analysing literature, evaluating an experiment, analysing a historical source or reviewing a piece of art or theatre.

 The school website has a page for each subject available at A-Level. By visiting any of these pages, you will find information regarding the entrance assessment for that subject.

Explore the subjects available here .

The Westminster Interviews  

Candidates who have performed most strongly in the examinations will be invited for interviews at Westminster in late November.

Candidates invited to interview will complete the following:

20-minute interviews in each of their four examination subjects;

40-minute Thinking Skills Assessment;

General interview.

In advance of the interviews, all candidates write a personal statement. The school will provide questions and headings to help with this.

In addition, Westminster School will write to the Head of the candidate’s current school for a reference to support the selection process.

Tips For Westminster Test And Interview Preparation

1)    Choose subjects you will enjoy preparing and that you are naturally suited to succeeding in . The entrance exams and interviews are designed to be challenging, and they will take quite a lot of preparation in order to succeed. You will make the process so much more difficult if you select subjects you dislike or find really difficult. 

2)    Do your research. Read through all the information available on the school website and decide whether you think you would do well if assessed via the methods they outline. For example, applying for English A-Level, if your weakest skill is unseen literary analysis and this forms the basis of the entrance exam, perhaps this is not a wise choice as an admissions subject.

3)    Practise the skills that the department identify as part of the admissions process. Start this preparation over the summer before admission, to give yourself lots of time to solidify your skills. The exams are not content-heavy, so last-minute cramming will not be very helpful. 

4)    You will probably want some help with this preparation. Start by talking to your teachers at your current school and also consider finding a tutor. Tutor websites such as U2 tuition can offer tutors who have studied at Westminster School themselves so are highly familiar with the application process.

5)    You will be able to talk much more convincingly about specifics than you will about the subject in vague or general terms. So, develop your own interests: if you want to study English, what kind of literature do you love and why? If you are passionate about Physics, watch some documentaries or online lectures about a particular topic that you enjoy. You will then be able to talk about this in an animated and persuasive way. The process of developing your interests will also help you to decide whether this is really the right subject for you.

6)    Practice Makes Perfect! Since these exams and interviews will test skills, aptitude and enthusiasm, the best way you can prepare is to practise. Work out what the exam will consist of and ask someone - a teacher or tutor - to set you some practice questions. Try some skill-based questions from exams that are aimed at Sixth Form students like the old AS Levels or even some Oxbridge entrance exam style questions. Get your parents to ask you questions about why you love your subject, or what you think about certain relevant topics. The more you practise the skills needed in the exam and the more you practise talking about your subjects in an interview-style environment, the better you will perform.

What Are Westminster Looking For?

The school website offers this view of its pupils:

“Westminster School’s reputation as one of the world’s foremost centres of academic excellence is built upon our pupils’ genuine enjoyment of open-minded enquiry, rigorous discussion and the search for explanation well beyond any examination syllabus. Westminster is a safe, stimulating and supportive environment: pupils enhance their intellectual, physical, spiritual and social development by taking full advantage of the many opportunities available to them in art, drama, music, sport and volunteering in the community.”

They are looking for:

Academic Excellence

Intellectually Curiosity

Highly Motivated Students

Community Minded Students

Westminster School is highly prestigious and the selection process is highly competitive. They are looking for the students who will achieve the top grades and go on to great Universities, but also who will be committed and passionate members of the class and who will immerse themselves in academic life beyond the classroom. In your application you need to display this passion and commitment as well as your potential for academic excellence.

You need to show that you would throw yourself into the opportunities available at the school, such as societies, essay competitions, lecture series, extra-curricular activities, drama, art, sport, volunteering and more. Do your research and be ready to tell your interviewers what you would hope to do beyond the classroom at Westminster.

Show commitment to the hobbies and intellectual passions that you have already, and convince them that you would bring this same energy to life at Westminster!

Read more at: Westminster School Website , or book a free consultation for a private tutor with U2 Tuition.

Looking for a 16+ tutor to help with applications to Westminster School and other target schools?

Are you seeking to secure a place for your child in prestigious independent schools such as Westminster? Our 16+ tuition programme is specifically designed to help students achieve their goals and secure admission into top independent schools. Our experienced 16 Plus tutors have a proven track record of success, and we're confident that we can help your child achieve the results they need to succeed.

Our team of 16 plus tutors are all Oxbridge-educated and often alumni of the specific school/s in question, offering the expertise and guidance needed for students to approach their 16+ school and scholarship exams with confidence. We collaborate closely with students to create customised study plans, emphasising personalised strategies and individualised learning experiences.

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The Sixth Form

Westminster is one of the foremost centres of academic excellence in the country – a reputation due not only to its pupils’ unrivalled examination results and admission to the top universities worldwide but, even more importantly, because of their enjoyment of academic enquiry, debate and search for explanation well beyond the published syllabus.

In addition, pupils enhance both their intellectual and social development by taking full advantage of the many opportunities that are offered in sport, music, drama, debating, community service and other forms of civic engagement.

Westminster is a boarding school and approximately one quarter of Sixth Form pupils, girls and boys, are boarders. Some boarders come from far away but most are Londoners who prefer to avoid the daily grind of commuting. For day pupils also, Westminster is very different from a conventional school. Many remain long after the teaching day has finished, perhaps to work in the library, or for extra sport, to rehearse for a play or concert, or to attend a lecture.

In recent years, we have opened a House for girl boarders and day boys, and an indoor sports centre adjacent to the School’s playing fields at Vincent Square. Both have significantly enhanced the facilities for pupils joining us in the Sixth Form. In September 2017, girls were elected as Queen’s Scholars for the first time, and a new floor and observatory have recently opened in our refurbished Science building, which also houses the Computer Science Department.

Discover More

Find out when your child is able to join the School using the personalised age checker and timeline.

Westminster School gratefully welcomes donations to support fundraising efforts across the School community.

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Harrison Butker’s Hometown Gives Him a Major Tongue Lashing

It takes a village to raise a star—but teachers, peers, and others in Harrison Butker’s hometown think he deserves a time-out for his “dystopian” commencement speech.

Noor Ibrahim

Managing Editor

Emily Shugerman

Senior Reporter

Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty Images

Outrage over Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s commencement speech—in which he urged women to prioritize their families over their careers and railed against the LGBTQ community—has reverberated across the country and right back to his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia .

Among those incensed by the speech are teachers, peers, and others in the community who spoke with The Daily Beast about their reactions to Butker’s controversial remarks.

“I was sick. I was disgusted,” said Amy Allen, an Atlanta real estate agent whose daughter overlapped with Butker at Westminster Schools, the elite private academy the star athlete attended. “It just felt so dystopian and just so backward… If someone were to sit there and say that to my daughter, I would just lose it,” she told The Daily Beast.

Butker, 28, addressed graduates of a small Catholic university in Kansas called Benedictine College on Saturday. The star kicker is a devout Catholic who has openly shared his religious views in the past, and he didn’t hold back in his speech, railing against abortion, IVF, surrogacy, Pride month, and “degenerate cultural values.”

In a particularly controversial remark, Butker told female graduates that their “most important title” should be that of “homemaker,” adding, “Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world… I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say her life truly started when she started living her vocation as a wife and as a mother."

The remarks drew swift rebukes from audience members, rival teams, and even the NFL, which said in a statement that Butker’s views “are not those of the NFL as an organization” and that the league is “steadfast in our commitment to inclusion.”

But the comments were particularly troubling for those who knew him—or knew of him—during his time as a rising star at Westminster and at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he attended college.

Representatives for Westminster, Georgia Tech, and the Chiefs did not respond to requests for comment.

Allen, who said she knew Butker had “incredible talent and a bright future” in football when she watched him play as a high school student, described the speech as “mind-boggling.”

“What he believes are ‘traditional family values’ are actually an antiquated and oppressive system where men who look like him get to enjoy a special and inherent privilege and power and everyone else has a boot on their neck,” she said.

A former Westminster teacher during Butker’s time, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, said the older generation of teachers and parents at the school may have received the kicker’s comments well.

“I think if you ask people from maybe a certain generation, they might say, ‘Oh, well, of course, that was a perfectly acceptable, normal, right up the center, graduation speech to give,’” he said. “But also I can imagine kids who are juniors who are part of this new generation that would be appalled by that,” he added. “I mean, he actually did a pretty broad swipe at pretty much every demographic you could find—it was like a lawn sprinkler!”

Rhonda Schwartz, another parent of an alum who overlapped with Butker at Westminster, told The Daily Beast she wasn’t surprised by the immense backlash to Butker’s comments. “The comment is being made at a commencement where women have really worked hard for their degrees and to use them. So I can understand that women may feel that that achievement is being minimized.”

Schwartz, a veteran journalist who spent decades working in a newsroom, said the issue felt personal because of her own experiences balancing professional obligations and family.

“Leaving my reporting career at CNN was the hardest decision I ever made in my life,” she said. “But there's no one size fits all … I believe that women should be free to choose which path they want to take. And sometimes women may be working full time, sometimes they take some time off, sometimes they come back. But I think it has to be personal.”

‘A Slap in the Face’

Westminster isn’t the only alma mater community outraged by Butker’s speech.

“I was a big fan of his when I was at Georgia Tech—we all were, because he’s got great talent,” said Carol Colatrella, a professor of literature and cultural studies at the university. “So I guess that’s what makes it really troubling to me.”

Colatrella said the school, which is well known for its engineering and computer science departments, is making a concerted effort to recruit more women and create a more welcoming environment for them on campus.

“This goes against that image of a place that is open and critically thinking, not just spouting some party line,” she added, calling Butker’s statements “a slap in the face” to women graduates. “I think if you interviewed people at Georgia Tech... most people wouldn’t agree with [his comments] either.”

Christopher Yandle, the former assistant director for communications at Georgia Tech, wrote on Facebook that he worked with Butker as a student athlete and that this behavior was “not what I saw 10 years ago.”

“To say I’m disappointed in Harrison Butker’s comments is an understatement,” Yandle wrote. “But I think Harrison isn’t going to like how we raise our teenage daughter… She will never apologize for being a strong fucking woman because that’s who we raised her to be,” he added.

Several Georgia Tech and Westminster community members noted that Butker’s mother, Elizabeth, is an accomplished medical physicist at Emory University, with a master’s degree from Georgia Tech and a bachelor’s from Smith, the prestigious women’s college. The former Westminster teacher called Butker’s remarks “a complete polarization from his own mom… who maybe didn't cross the graduation stage thinking about having babies.”

Elizabeth Butker has not commented on her son’s recent remarks, but said in a statement in 2020 that she was proud of “the man he has become.”

There are a string of other accomplished women in Butker’s life, from his younger sister—a physician’s assistant who studied at Weill Cornell Graduate School—to his aunt, a senior vice president at McGriff, Seibels & Williams insurance company. Reached by phone, his aunt, Alice Butker, said she had not been able to watch her nephew’s speech because she was too busy at work.

Many of Butker’s fellow Georgia Tech graduates from the class of 2017 have also gone on to achieve career success—including the more than 50 women who also graduated with degrees in industrial engineering.

Maria Auslander, a senior consultant at the business consulting firm Slalom, not only graduated at the same time and with the same degree as Butker, but was also raised Catholic. She told The Daily Beast she was “proud of the career I’ve built for myself,” and that women “should have the right to choose how they spend the time in their lives, without judgment.”

“I’m proud of the women in my life who chose to have careers and I’m proud of the women in my life who have decided to be mothers—both endeavors are worthwhile,” she said in an email.

“In response to Butker quoting Taylor Swift, I’ll quote what I’m assuming is his favorite book—‘Judge not, that ye be not judged.’ (Matthew 7:1).”

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast  here .

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A gift of artwork, coins, antiques, or other personal property can be an excellent way to support Westminster.

A gift of personal property may be right for you if:

• You own artwork, antiques, or a collection of value that you no longer want.
• You own other personal property that would be useful to us.
• You want to save income taxes or capital gains taxes.
• You would like to make a gift to Westminster.

How It Works:

You give your personal property to Westminster. Either we put your property to a use related to our mission, or we sell your property and use the proceeds.

How Your Gift Helps

Your gifts to Westminster School help us continue to be one of the very top small boarding schools in the country. Your generosity will provide Westminster with the resources to…

• inspire young men and women of promise to cultivate a passion for learning;
• build new state-of-the-art  facilities that bring our community together;
• preserve the special qualities that have distinguished the school and its students for more than a century.

Gifts of Artwork, Coins, and Other Collectibles

You can use artwork, coins, and other collectibles to make a generous gift to Westminster. Depending on the property you give us, we may either keep your property and use it for our charitable purposes or sell it and use the proceeds.

Gifts of Other Personal Property

You may own equipment, supplies, or other personal property that you no longer need and would be useful to us. Please discuss these items with us prior to your donation to determine which ones we will be able to put to productive use.

Relieve Yourself of Responsibility

Maintaining valuable collectibles, such as works of art or antiques, can be a big responsibility. By giving your collectible to Westminster, you will no longer be responsible for keeping it secure, preventing its deterioration, or paying to insure it against damage or loss. If you are in this situation, consider making a gift of the item or items to us.

Tax Benefits

Your gift of personal property will save you income taxes, provided you itemize, and capital gains taxes.

If we are able to use the item(s) you give us to advance our charitable purpose, you will be eligible for an immediate income tax charitable deduction equal to the full appraised value of your property. If we cannot put your property to a "related use," or you direct us to sell your property immediately for cash, your income tax charitable deduction will be limited to the amount you paid for your property.

Whether or not we are able to put your gift property to a related use, you will avoid all potential capital gains tax on your property. If you were to sell property that is considered a collectible, you would have to pay a special 28% tax on the difference between its current value and what you paid for it, rather than the 15% tax applied to sales of securities.

You may also save estate taxes, as once you give your collectible or other personal property to Westminster the property will no longer be part of your estate.

Appraisal Requirements

You will need a qualified independent appraisal of your property in order to establish the value of your gift. If you give personal property valued at $5,000 or more and you wish to take an income tax charitable deduction for your gift, you will need to include this appraisal with your federal income tax return.

Consult with Us Before Making Your Gift

It is important that you discuss with us the personal property you are considering for donation before you make your gift. We want to be sure that we can accept the property you have in mind.

Also, we will want to discuss with you what will happen to your property once we receive it. We want to be sure we will be able to carry out your wishes. This discussion will also help you anticipate the likely tax benefits of your gift.

George Patton has been an avid stamp collector since he was a kid. His collection was appraised for insurance purposes last year at $20,000. George paid only about $2,000 for his stamps.

George is in his 80s now and is no longer adding to his collection. None of his children has expressed an interest in taking it over. A devoted supporter of Westminster School for many years, he wonders whether we could make good use of his collection.

After a discussion with George and his advisors, we determine that it would be best for Westminster to sell the stamp collection and use the proceeds. George is pleased that the value of his stamps will help support our organization and that the stamps themselves will wind up in the collections of others who will enjoy them as much as he has.

Because Westminster will sell the stamps and use the proceeds, George will be able to deduct from his income taxes only the $2,000 he paid for the stamps. George understands this and is anxious to proceed with his gift, knowing that it will provide valuable support to Westminster, as well as settle what is to become of his beloved stamp collection.

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How to apply

We offer a wide range of courses at all levels. If you are applying through one of our representatives in your country , they will guide you through making your application. If you are applying independently, please follow the relevant information below. If you have any further queries, please contact us or refer to our Admissions Policy .

Foundation programmes

If you are applying for a University of Westminster foundation programme, you must make your application through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).

If you are applying for a foundation course at one of our associate colleges, you must apply directly to the college.

Undergraduate programmes

Applications for all undergraduate and foundation programmes should be made through UCAS . The deadline for applications for international (non-EU) students is 30 June in the year of entry, but we do recommend applying by January as the popular programmes fill up quickly and we cannot guarantee your application will be considered later. After the UCAS deadline , it may be possible to get a place on some courses through the UCAS clearing system .

Postgraduate programmes

There are two ways for international students to apply for a postgraduate programme at Westminster:

• online via the Westminster online application form, accessible through the red Apply button on each course page
• via apply via our overseas representatives

There is no official deadline for postgraduate applications, but we strongly recommend you apply early (by April for September start and October for January start), especially if you are interested in applying for a scholarship .

If you apply via the online application form, please make sure you include scanned copies of all the following documents:

• a copy of your results transcript from your first degree (translated into English)
• a copy of your English language qualification
• your CV/resumé
• two academic references (letters of recommendation)
• why you are interested in the course(s)
• why you would like to study at the University of Westminster
• any relevant skills and experience that you have
• your career plans

Some courses require further information or an additional assessment. If this is required for your application, you will be contacted by the admissions office and must supply this by the given deadline.

Research programmes

Research applications should be made through the Westminster online application form, which can be accessed from our Research Degree pages . Please check if our Schools can provide supervision in your research area of interest by reviewing our key research areas . Please email [email protected] for an application pack or more information.

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Further information about English language support for international students.

After you have applied

For enquiries about the status of individual applications please contact the relevant Admissions Office. See below for contact details.

Cavendish Admissions Office E:  [email protected]

Marylebone Admissions Office E: [email protected]

Harrow Admissions Office E: [email protected]

If you receive an offer from the university, we will ask you to confirm whether you wish to accept the offer. If you want to apply for University accommodation, you must accept your offer as soon as possible. The next step is to pay the tuition deposit of £4,000 – instructions to do this will be in your offer letter. For more information on this, visit our visa advice pages .

If you have applied via a University representative in your country they will update you on your application and assist you through the next steps of the admissions process.

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NFL distances itself from Chiefs’ Harrison Butker’s Benedictine College speech

In response to the controversy surrounding Harrison Butker’s commencement speech at Benedictine College, the NFL distanced itself from the ideas expressed in the speech, saying the league doesn’t share the beliefs the Kansas City Chiefs kicker voiced while addressing the graduating students.

During the commencement speech, Butker referred to Pride Month as an example of the “deadly sins.” He also addressed gender ideologies and said a woman’s most important title is “homemaker.”

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“Not the deadly sins sort of Pride that has an entire month dedicated to it,” Butker said, “but the true God-centered pride that is cooperating with the holy ghost to glorify him.”

Butker spoke for more than 20 minutes to students at the Catholic school in Atchison, Kan., saying he wanted the graduating class to prevent political leaders from interfering with social issues that impact their relationship with the church.

In response, NFL senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer Jonathan Beane said in a statement to The Athletic that Butker gave the speech “in his personal capacity.”

“His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger,” Beane said. His statement was first reported by People.

The Chiefs declined to comment when reached Thursday by The Athletic .

While Pride Month, which is in June, falls outside the NFL’s season, the league participates in LGBTQ+ initiatives. On the Wednesday before Super Bowl LVIII, the NFL hosted a “Night of Pride” event in partnership with GLAAD, the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization.

The Chiefs are among the NFL teams that have a Pride selection of apparel with rainbow colors. Kansas City is also among the many North American cities that host Pride events during June, led by the KC Pride Community Alliance.

Later Thursday, legendary college football coach and TV analyst Lou Holtz took to X to thank Butker “for standing strong in your faith values.”

“Your commencement speech at Benedictine College showed courage and conviction and I admire that,” Holtz wrote, later linking to a form from America First Works for people to sign and offer their thanks to Butker for his comments.

Required reading

• Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker says Pride Month is example of ‘deadly sin’ during commencement speech

(Photo: Ric Tapia / Getty Images)

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World News | Putin concludes trip to China by emphasizing…

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World News | Putin concludes trip to China by emphasizing its strategic and personal ties to Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin, front left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, front right, attend a concert marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China and opening of China-Russia Years of Culture at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, China, on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Sergei Guneyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Rao Aimin/Xinhua via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a concert marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China and opening of China-Russia Years of Culture at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, China, on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Alexander Ryumin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends an informal meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China, on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, is welcomed by Chinese officials at an airport upon his arrival in Harbin, China, on Friday, May 17, 2024. (Matvey Fedorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, center, gestures speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, during an informal meeting in Beijing, China, on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend an informal meeting in Beijing, China, on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin wave gesture during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Ju Peng/Xinhua via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shake hands during a concert marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China and opening of China-Russia Years of Culture at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, China, on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Alexander Ryumin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

BEIJING — Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded a two-day visit to China on Friday, emphasizing the countries’ burgeoning strategic ties as well as his own personal relationship with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as they sought to present an alternative to U.S. global influence.

Putin praised the growth in bilateral trade while touring a China-Russia Expo in the northeastern city of Harbin. He met students at the Harbin Institute of Technology, known for its defense research and its work with the People’s Liberation Army.

Harbin, capital of China’s Heilongjiang province, was once home to many Russian expatriates and retains some of that history in its architecture, such as the central St. Sophia Cathedral, a former Russian Orthodox church.

TODAY: Putin says Russia wants a buffer zone in Ukraine’s Kharkiv but has no plans to capture the city

Underscoring the personal nature of the relationship, Putin said the Harbin institute and his alma mater, St. Petersburg State University, will open a joint school for 1,500 students. “I’m sure that it will become a flagship of the Russian-Chinese cooperation in science and education,” he said

Speaking to reporters, Putin praised his talks with Xi as “substantive,” saying that he spent “almost a whole day, from morning till evening” with the Chinese leader and other officials in Beijing the previous day. As he departed Beijing, the two leaders embraced.

The partnership between China and Russia “is not directed against anyone,” Putin said in a veiled reference to the West. “It is aimed at one thing: creating better conditions for the development of our countries and improving the well-being of the people of China and the Russian Federation.”

But he still had a back-handed rebuke for the U.S., and others who oppose the Moscow-Beijing relationship, saying an “emerging multipolar world … is now taking shape before our eyes.”

“And it is important that those who are trying to maintain their monopoly on decision-making in the world on all issues … do everything in their power to ensure that this process goes naturally,” he said.

Both Russia and China have frequently spoken of the “emerging multipolar world” in response to what they view as U.S. hegemony.

Joseph Torigian, a research fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institute, said the message being sent by China and Russia was clear: “At this moment, they’re reminding the West that they can be defiant when they want to.”

Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu addressed Putin’s visit in an interview with The Associated Press , saying Western powers should continue to support Ukraine as part of sending a message that democracies will defend one another.

“If Ukraine is defeated at the end, I think China is going to get inspired, and they might take even more ambitious steps in expanding their power in the Indo-Pacific, and it will be disastrous for the international community,” Wu said.

Putin this month began his fifth term in power and Xi began his third last year. The Russian leader’s trip “is an example of the two big authoritarian countries supporting each other, working together with each other, supporting each other’s expansionism,” Wu added.

Russia has become isolated globally following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine . China has a tense relationship with the U.S., which has labeled it a competitor, and faces pressure for continuing to supply key components to Russia needed for weapons production.

Putin began the day by laying flowers at a Harbin monument to fallen Soviet soldiers who had fought for China against the Japanese during the second Sino-Japanese war, when Japan occupied parts of China.

At the trade exhibition in Harbin, Putin emphasized the importance of Russia-China cooperation in jointly developing new technologies.

“Relying on traditions of friendship and cooperation, we can look into the future with confidence,” he said. “The Russian-Chinese partnership helps our countries’ economic growth, ensures energy security, helps develop production and create new jobs.”

A joint statement on Thursday described their world view and expounded on criticism of U.S. military alliances in Asia and the Pacific. The meeting was yet another affirmation of the friendly “no-limits” relationship China and Russia signed in 2022, just before Moscow invaded Ukraine.

Talks of ending the fighting featured frequently in Thursday’s remarks, although Russia has just opened a new front by launching attacks in Ukraine’s northeastern border area. The war is at a critical point for Ukraine , which had faced delays in getting weapons from the U.S.

China offered a broad plan for peace last year that was rejected by both Ukraine and the West for failing to call for Russia to leave occupied parts of Ukraine.

Since the invasion and subsequent Western sanctions on Moscow, Russia has increasingly depended on China for technology and some consumer imports while exporting cheap energy. Trade between the two countries increased to $240 billion last year.

European leaders have pressed China to influence Russia to end its invasion, to little avail. Experts say the Moscow-Beijing relationship offers strategic benefits, particularly when both have tensions with Europe and the U.S.

“Even if China compromises on a range of issues, including cutting back support on Russia, it’s unlikely that the U.S. or the West will drastically change their attitude to China as a competitor,” said Hoo Tiang Boon, who researches Chinese foreign policy at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. “They see very little incentive for compromise.”

Xi and Putin have a longstanding agreement to visit each other’s countries once a year, and Xi was welcomed at the Kremlin last year.

Wu reported from Bangkok. AP writers Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia, and Simina Mistreanu and Christopher Bodeen in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed.

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Looking back at former Trump fixer on the stand in hush money trial: Who is Michael Cohen?

Michael Cohen , Donald Trump 's former lawyer and fixer, took the witness stand Monday in Trump's criminal hush money trial .

Cohen's testimony could be a central link prosecutors use to show Trump authorized the $130,000 paid to porn star Stormy Daniels in an attempt to stop her story about an alleged affair from becoming public ahead of the 2016 election. Trump has been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to allegedly disguise reimbursing Cohen.

But Cohen's journey to the witness stand has been complicated. Once an adamant Trump loyalist, Cohen has repeatedly attacked Trump in recent years. He has also been convicted of several felonies, including lying to Congress:

Here is what to know about Cohen, a key witness in Trump's criminal trial:

Trump trial live updates: Latest updates as Michael Cohen returns as hush money witness

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

How long did Michael Cohen work for Trump?

Cohen was Trump's personal attorney and fixer from 2006 until 2018.

How long was Michael Cohen's prison sentence?

Michael Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison . He started his sentence in May 2019, but was sent home early for house arrest due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Where did Michael Cohen go to law school?

Michael Cohen went to Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan. Politico reported that "Cooley may be, by some measurements, the worst law school in America."

What did Michael Cohen lie about? 

In November 2018, Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to Congress. In an effort to protect Trump, had told Congress his boss stopped trying to pursue a real-estate deal in Moscow in January 2016 when they actually continued efforts through June 2016.

That guilty plea came months after Cohen pleaded guilty to tax evasion, making false statements to a bank, and violating campaign finance laws by causing or issuing two hush money payments: $130,000 to Stormy Daniels and $150,00 to Karen McDougal, the latter of which was paid by American Media Inc. Those amounts greatly exceed the personal contribution limits to a political candidate.

Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison, according to a Department of Justice release .

Why did Michael Cohen turn on Trump? 

Cohen's falling out with Trump was partly due to his conviction. In February 2019, he told a congressional committee he made a clean break with Trump.

"I have done bad things, but I am not a bad man. I have fixed things, but I am no longer your fixer, Mr. Trump," Cohen said in a dramatic testimony.

The two have continuously lobbed attacks at one another since then.

Contributing: Aysha Bagchi, Erin Kelly, Josh Meyer

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