Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Beijing in October for talks with China's Xi Jinping, the Kremlin's chief's first known trip abroad since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him.
Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, said that the West's attempt to contain both Russia and China should deepen cooperation between the two powers.
Putin will attend the third Belt and Road Forum after an invitation by Xi during a high-profile visit to Moscow in March.
Earlier on September 19, the Group of Seven (G7) called on China to press Russia to stop its aggression in Ukraine after foreign ministers of the bloc met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly and released a joint statement.
The statement, released by G7 chair Japan, said the members hoped China would push for the immediate, complete, and unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
The statement comes as China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, visits Russia for a four-day trip during which both countries are expected to pledge deeper political ties.
