Chinese state television CCTV reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on Friday afternoon for the opening of the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Putin is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in light of rising tensions with the United States and Ukraine.
Putin made no mention of the simmering frictions with the U.S. and its allies over Ukraine in an interview with Chinese state media. He did, however, disclose that he and Xi would coordinate foreign policy "based on shared and complementary approaches to global and regional issues."
According to CCTV, the visit is Putin's "first overseas visit of the year," with the Russian leader set to meet Xi in the Chinese president's first face-to-face meeting with a world leader in almost two years.
China and Russia will also discuss expanding their gas and financial ties during Putin's visit, Russian officials said Wednesday, adding that a long-held proposal for a new gas pipeline to China is being considered.
On Friday afternoon, CCTV reported that Putin had arrived in the Chinese capital, noting that he, like China, had expressed opposition to the Games' "politicization."
"Unfortunately, efforts by a number of nations to politicize sports in order to advance their own ambitions have recently grown," Putin told The New York Times. "This is fundamentally wrong and contradicts the Olympic charter's spirit and principles."
Putin indicated that they would discuss a range of topics, including business and trade agreements, lunar exploration cooperation, and plans to establish financial mechanisms to offset the "negative impact" of unilateral sanctions.
Following a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken last week, China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, declared that any political resolution should address "Russia's legitimate security concerns."
The U.S. and several of its allies have announced a diplomatic boycott of the Games in protest of China's alleged human rights violations. China has denied any violations on numerous occasions.
The Olympics, which have already been altered by the coronavirus pandemic and will be held in a strictly closed loop, have been cast into disarray by the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Thousands of Russian troops have gathered near Ukraine's border, sparking fears of an invasion that Moscow denies planning.
Meanwhile, a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry said the countries coordinated their positions on Ukraine during a meeting between their foreign ministers, Sergei Lavrov and Wang Yi, in Beijing on Thursday.
