Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin on Sunday (August 31, 2025), Chinese and Russian state media reported, for a regional security summit that China hopes can counter Western influence in global affairs, CNN reported.

For the rare four-day visit to Russia's neighbour and largest trading partner, Mr. Putin arrived to a red carpet welcome, received on the tarmac by top-ranking city officials, a livestream of the event by Russia's TASS showed.

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, according to CNN.