Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to hold “substantive” discussions with his Russian counterpart Xi Jinping during a bilateral meeting in Beijing in October, Russia’s national security secretary said on Tuesday.

“We expect that substantive bilateral talks between President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Xi Jinping of China will take place in Beijing in October” while the Russian leader participates in the One Belt One Road International Forum, Moscow’s security council secretary Nikolay Patrushev said after meeting Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi.

The Russian president’s adviser on foreign affairs, Yuri Ushakov, had already revealed in July that Putin was planning a China visit in October.

Meanwhile Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said earlier this month that the agenda of Putin’s China visit included discussion on issues that were clear and “voluminous,” such as bilateral trade, economic cooperation, and the world and regional situation.

In February 2022, weeks before the launch of the Russian military intervention in Ukraine, Putin and Xi had declared a “friendship without limits” between their nations during a meeting in Beijing.

In March this year, during Xi’s visit to Russia, the Chinese president attempted to convince Putin on his 12-point piece initiative and according to some reports, warned him against the use of nuclear weapons.

On Tuesday, Patrushev stressed that Russia was committed to the sustained development and strengthening of ties with China.

He said that relations between Moscow and Beijing were based on the principles of “respect, non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs and mutual support on the international stage,” according to Russian state news agency TASS.

These ties “are inherently strong and don’t depend on the changing situation,” he added.

Patrushev also reiterated Russia’s “continued support” to China’s policies towards Taiwan, Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong.