Putin visits China for cementing Sino-Russian ties
Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday arrived in China on a three day visit for a regional summit that would see the two powers coming closer to counterbalance the US push into Asia Pacific region, more with its naval power.
Putin met with President Hu Jintao and signed a joint declaration on further deepening bilateral ties, state run Xinhua news agency said.
The two leaders addressed a joint press conference during which Putin hailed China as "Russia's strategic partner".
He said the two countries have maintained an "open, trustworthy and mutually beneficial" relationship.
The two leaders also discussed their common approaches to Syria and appeared certain to deal with their mutual interests in Iran
"Russia and China have consistently urged the establishment of a fair global order and the collective tackling of crisis of all nations," Putin said.
During the visit Putin will participate in a summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional bloc that includes Russia, China and former Soviet republics in Central Asia.
The talks between Putin and Hu, along with the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit meeting, are fraught with the symbolism of two major powers interested in further developing a multilateral organization that does not include the US, according The New York Times.
Iran also plays an important role in the organisation, if only as an observer.
Former State Department official and expert on Iran Vali Nasr told The New York Times that Iran, too, is very keen on the SCO.
"That it is happening in China reflects China's increasing interest in Central Asia and also its desire to lead international and regional alliances without the US," Nasr said.
Some 17 major business and trade deals between Russia and China are expected to be signed during Putin's visit.
On the eve of the visit, Putin told China's state media that he wanted to increase bilateral trade to $100bn in 2015 and $200bn by 2020.
Putin will also meet Vice-Premier Li Keqiang, who is tipped to be the next premier, and Xi Jinping, who is expected to become next president after a stage-managed leadership change later this year.
Source: Russia News.Net
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