Putin arrives in China for Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, World War II events

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived Sunday in China to attend the 25th Heads of State Council meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and World War II-related events, Russian News Agency TASS reported.

Putin arrived in Tianjin in northern China by plane to participate in the SCO Summit. The visit comes after his trip to China in May 2024.

As one of the six founding members of the SCO, Russia has maintained strong ties with China within the organization.

The summit convenes amid escalating geopolitical tensions, including Israel's war on the Gaza Strip, the Ukraine crisis and international tariff disputes.

During his visit to Tianjin, Putin is scheduled to have bilateral meetings with various leaders, such as Chinese President Xi Jinping, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as well as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Afterward, Putin will travel to Beijing to participate in an event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in World War II.