WATCH: Putin arrives in China’s Tianjin for SCO summit, to hold talks with Xi Jinping

Ties between China and Russia are at their “best in history”, having become the “most stable, mature and strategically significant among major countries”, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said in its report of the arrival.

The parade, held on Tiananmen Square, will commemorate the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. Ushakov told reporters that Putin would attend as Xi’s “main guest.”

#WATCH | Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in China at the start of a four-day visit. President Putin will first attend the two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin.

(Reuters via Ruptly for Russian Pool) pic.twitter.com/XX5zFVb64o

— ANI (@ANI) August 31, 2025

Bilateral meetings

According to Kremlin, Putin will hold top-level talks in Beijing with Xi Jinping to deepen the Russia-China strategic partnership, expand practical cooperation, and discuss global, regional and multilateral issues.

Alongside the SCO sessions, Putin is scheduled to meet a number of leaders also attending the summit, including PM Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Ushakov said.

The Russian delegation includes senior officials such as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina, and Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller. Ushakov said at least three agreements involving Gazprom would be signed during the visit, though he did not disclose details.

Russia-China trade hit record highs after Western sanctions isolated Moscow over the war in Ukraine. However, flows have recently started to decline, according to three Russian sources cited by Reuters, a trend Putin is expected to address during his visit.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

The SCO, founded by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, has since expanded to include India, Iran, Pakistan and Belarus. Afghanistan and Mongolia hold observer status, while 14 other countries, mainly from Southeast Asia and the Middle East, are “dialogue partners,” reported Associated Press (AP).

World leaders are gathering in Tianjin for Sunday and Monday’s sessions. The guest list for the SCO does not fully overlap with that of the Beijing parade, as per AP. The parade itself will feature China’s latest military hardware, including over 100 aircraft, tanks, and missile systems.

(With inputs from Reuters, AP)