Russia's state-run Tass news agency reports that Chinese President Xi Jinping has said Beijing is ready to welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin in October.

The report said Xi was meeting with Russia's Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko in Beijing on Monday.

Tass quoted Russian senator Andrey Denisov as saying Xi told the speaker that the Chinese side was getting ready for a visit by Putin to participate in a forum on China's Belt and Road economic zone initiative.

Denisov formerly served as Russia's ambassador to China and accompanied Matviyenko on her latest trip to Beijing.

China plans to hold the third Belt and Road Forum later this year. Xi visited Moscow in March and revealed that he invited Putin to China to attend the gathering.

It would be Putin's first visit to China since February of last year, when the Beijing Winter Olympics were held.