The ROC held a joint meeting with the Chinese Olympic Committee ©ROC

Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) President Stanislav Pozdnyakov has claimed joint training camps and competitions could be held with China, after a videoconference with the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC).

Russia has been largely excluded from international sport following the nation’s invasion of Ukraine, with the majority of athletes blocked from competing by International Federations.

The ROC has mooted inviting foreign athletes to a series of events in Russia, which it claims would be of equal status to the World and European Championships.

Athletes from Belarus, Armenia and Kazakhstan were cited as potential participants.

ROC President Pozdnyakov said a meeting with the COC today worked on practical steps to develop bilateral relations between Russia and China through sport.

Joint training and sporting events were highlighted.

"A working body will soon be created to prepare events that will take place in the next two years," Pozdnyakov said.

"We have already received a large number of requests from the national sports federations of Russia and China to hold joint training camps, competitions and tournaments both in our country and in China.

"We plan to consider issues related to the development of mass sports.

"The most important thing in our partnership is to complement each other so that our main beneficiaries - athletes - receive additional opportunities, including in the field of training, scientific, methodological and medical support, as well as in other areas of elite sports."

ROC President Pozdnyakov said a working group will prepare events over the next two years ©Getty Images
ROC President Pozdnyakov said a working group will prepare events over the next two years ©Getty Images

COC President Gou Zhongwen reportedly "expressed his hope that sport will continue to play its unique role in strengthening mutual understanding and friendship, as well as promoting solidarity and peace."

The joint events are claimed to fall within a framework of a "2022-2023 China-Russia Year of Sports Exchanges".

China and Russia are close allies, with Russian President Vladimir Putin having been invited to the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony by his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

The ROC praised China’s hosting of the Games in their video meeting.

Putin had been outspoken in his opposition to diplomatic boycotts of the Games, led by the United States.

The diplomatic boycotts have centred around alleged human rights abuses by the Chinese Government.

A meeting between Putin and Xi on the eve of Beijing 2022 saw the officials criticise "Cold War" approaches and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).