Moscow, May 15 -- The Kremlin on Thursday (local time) said that preparations for Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to China are nearly complete, with official dates expected to be announced shortly, according to the Russian news agency TASS.

Speaking at a briefing, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the visit was in its final stages of preparation.

"We will announce them very soon. This visit is being prepared. We can say that preparations are already complete; we are just putting the finishing touches on it. It will take place very soon," Peskov said.

According to TASS, Putin's upcoming trip to China was among the key topics discussed during Thursday's Kremlin briefing.

The Kremlin, however, did not disclose fur...