MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing for talks on Wednesday, the Kremlin said.

Putin has increasingly turned to Beijing for trade and political support since his military offensive in Ukraine thrust Moscow into international isolation.

The talks will take place on the sidelines of a forum marking a decade of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the Kremlin said on Monday.

“During the talks, special attention will be paid to international and regional issues,” it said, without elaborating.

The visit is Putin’s first to a major global power since the Ukraine conflict began in February last year.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Beijing on Monday ahead of Putin’s visit, which comes amid heightened tensions over the Israel-Gaza war.