Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has arrived in China for two days of meetings in which energy cooperation will be at the top of the agenda.

Mr. Putin arrived at Beijing's airport Tuesday afternoon and was taken to a formal welcoming ceremony ahead of his talks with Premier Wen Jiabao. It is Mr. Putin's first foreign trip since he announced he will seek another term as president of Russia in elections next year.

Russia, the world's biggest energy producer, is eager to boost sales to China, the biggest energy consumer. But progress on a 30-year natural gas deal outlined in 2009 has been bogged down by disagreements over pricing.

Even so, the countries concluded agreements on $7 billion worth of energy deals on Monday, ahead of Mr. Putin's arrival.