President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Russia’s relationship with China had reached “a truly unprecedented level”, pledging mutual support on core interests including sovereignty and national unity, just hours before arriving in Beijing.

During his two-day trip, which will begin only days after US President Donald Trump left Beijing, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to discuss economic cooperation as well as “key international and regional issues”, according to the Kremlin.

The visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship and has been widely seen as a move to reaffirm the countries’ strategic partnership and deepen their diplomatic and energy ties.

In a video address released shortly before his departure, Putin highlighted the “deep trust” between the two countries and the strength of their economic relationship, noting that bilateral trade exceeded US$230 billion last year despite sanctions and the war in Ukraine.

Putin praised the regular summits he has had with Xi as “an important and integral part of our joint efforts to promote the entire range of relations between our two countries and unlock their truly limitless potential.”