Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Tianjin, a northern Chinese port city, on Sunday, according to Chinese and Russian state media. He is participating in a regional security summit that China hopes to use to counterbalance Western influence in global affairs.

According to a live broadcast of the event by the TASS agency, Putin was welcomed on the tarmac by a red carpet and senior city officials for this rare four-day visit to Russia's largest trading partner.

Chinese state television CCTV reported that Sino-Russian relations are at their "historical best level" and that Russia is now "the most stable, mature, and strategically important country among the major powers."

About twenty international leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will participate in the two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Tianjin, organized by the Chinese president. This is the largest gathering of six Eurasian countries since the group's establishment in 2001.

The Russian economy is on the brink of recession, affected by trade restrictions and the cost of the war.

Leaders from Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia will attend the summit. China aims to present this event as a powerful demonstration of unity among the "Global South," a term referring to developing and low-income countries, primarily located in the Southern Hemisphere.