Russian President Vladimir Putin has met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in St Petersburg. -AP
Russian President Vladimir Putin says he has accepted an invitation from his Chinese counterpart to visit China in October during a Belt and Road Summit.
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Speaking after a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in St Petersburg, Putin said Russia and China are "integrating our ideas of creating a large Eurasian space," noting that China's Belt and Road Initiative is a part of that.
The initiative is a huge program in which China has been expanding its influence in developing regions through infrastructure projects.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Putin has pivoted the country toward China, selling it more energy, and increasingly carrying out joint military exercises.
China has adopted a neutral stance on the war in Ukraine and even denounced sanctions against Russia.Â
It also accused NATO and the United States of provoking Putin's military action and declared last year that it had a "no-limits" friendship with Russia.
On Tuesday, senior Russian security official Nikolai Patrushev called for closer policy co-ordination between Russia and China to counter what he described as efforts by the US and European Union to contain them as he hosted Wang Yi for security talks.
Wang arrived in Russia on Monday on a four-day visit following his talks with US President Joe Biden's national security adviser in Malta over the weekend.
Putin's plan to visit China was initially announced in July.
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