Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing late Tuesday for a major summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, where the two sides are expected to sign around 40 agreements covering trade, energy, investment, and broader strategic cooperation between Moscow and Beijing.

The visit comes just days after Xi hosted U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing, underscoring China’s growing role at the center of global diplomacy amid rising tensions involving Ukraine, Iran, and the global economy.

A major focus of the talks is expected to be the long-delayed “Power of Siberia 2” gas pipeline, a massive project that would send Russian natural gas to China through Mongolia as Moscow continues shifting its energy exports away from Europe following Western sanctions tied to the Ukraine war.

Putin called Russia-China relations a “stabilizing force” and said ties between the two nations have reached an “unprecedented level” of trust and cooperation.