Russian President Vladimir Putin said late on Tuesday that he would consider China as his first foreign trip in his new term as president, which he won in a weekend election, Reuters reported.

Reuters exclusively reported on Tuesday that Putin will travel to China in May for talks with Xi Jinping, which could be the Kremlin chief’s first trip abroad in his new presidency.

Russian state news agency TASS reported that at a meeting with parliamentary groups on Tuesday, Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov asked Putin to choose Beijing for the trip.

“I hope your first visit will be to the East and not to the West. Comrade (Chinese President) Xi Jinping is waiting for your visit, he loves our country very much,” Zyuganov said, TASS quotes.

Putin promised to consider this trip.

“Of course – no joke – I will take into account what you just said,” Putin replied with a smile, reports TASS.

Western governments condemned Putin’s landslide election victory at the weekend as unfair and undemocratic, but China and North Korea congratulated the veteran Russian leader on extending his term for another six years.