President Xi Jinping will meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for the second time in six months and the two are likely to discuss cooperation in large-scale projects, a senior Chinese diplomat said.

"Xi is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and their talks may focus on cooperating on 'mega projects' between China and Russia and on further strategic coordination at international and regional levels," Chinese Ambassador to Russia Li Hui said in an interview before Xi's arrival in St. Petersburg on Wednesday for the G20 summit.

The two are expected to exchange views on proposed US strikes on Syria, following Washington's claim that the Syrian government used chemical weapons on its own people. Putin has previously voiced opposition to the US stance and China has been urging the US to present evidence of chemical attacks.