Warmer ties between the two countries have been highly-publicized in Russian and Chinese state media in recent months, including an interview on Chinese state TV last week when Putin spoke glowingly of President Xi Jinping.
Putin last visited the country in September 2017 when he attended the BRICS summit in Xiamen, an annual meeting of the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
This time he is in China for three days, starting with a state visit in Beijing on Friday before heading to Qingdao for the Chinese-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.
On the agenda will be a range of regional issues including counter-terrorism and China's massive Belt and Road infrastructure plan. Xi and Putin are also likely to discuss their neighbor in common: North Korea, with leader Kim Jong Un set to meet with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday for a history-making summit.
