MOSCOW, March 21. /TASS/. Chinese President Xi Jinping said he has invited Russian leader Vladimir Putin to China this year.

"Yesterday, I invited President Putin to visit China later in the year at a time convenient for him as the third One Belt, One Road international forum will take place in China this year. President Putin attended the first two forums," Xi Jinping said at a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Tuesday.

Xi Jinping pointed out that the One Belt, One Road initiative had always been "an important field of cooperation in terms of China-Russia relations."

The Chinese president said at the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in Bangkok last November that Beijing would consider holding the third One Belt, One Road forum in 2023. The first forum, which took place in Beijing in May 2017, brought together officials from China, Russia and 28 Eurasian, African and Latin American countries. The second forum was held in the Chinese capital in April 2019.

The Belt and Road Initiative, a concept proposed by Xi Jinping in 2013, aims to intensify international trade and investment projects involving a large number of nations and with the use of Chinese and foreign capital. Over 150 countries and 30 international organizations have already joined the initiative.