Russia's President Vladimir Putin arrived in Harbin in northeastern China on Friday to attend a trade expo organized by the two governments.

The city of Harbin is in Heilongjiang Province, which shares a border with Russia and has strong ties with Moscow. Chinese government officials say more than 1,400 companies will participate.

Putin apparently intends to highlight the growing economic ties between Russia and China by attending the expo featuring businesses from both countries.

Russia is rapidly expanding trade with China as Western and other countries have imposed sanctions since the invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. The volume of trade between Russia and China reached a record 240 billion dollars last year.

Putin is visiting Harbin on the second day of his official visit to China. This is his first overseas trip since he began his fifth term in office.

Putin held summit talks with President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday. The joint statement signed by the two leaders includes the bolstering of trade and investment.