Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming state visit to China is
expected to further promote the strategic partnership between the two countries,
Russian Ambassador to China Igor Rogachev said Sundayday in Beijing.
"President Putin's visit will promote Russia's political dialogue with the
new Chinese leadership, expand economic co-operation and enhance collaboration
in international affairs between Russia and China," said Rogachev.
"Russia and China will work together to improve their co-operative mechanism
to ensure that bilateral political, economic and humanistic co-operation run
well," he added.
Putin is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on Thursday morning and hold talks
with President Hu Jintao in the afternoon.
Rogachev said Putin and Hu would exchange views on how to better implement
the China-Russia Treaty of Good Neighbourliness, Friendship and Co-operation as
well as other issues of common concern.
They are expected to issue a joint communique after talks.
The two heads of state are also scheduled to meet youth representatives in
Beijing to mark the "Friendship Year for Youth from China and Russia."
Putin will also visit Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province,
said Rogachev.
Meanwhile, Russia expects to improve the trade structure as current trade is
mainly boosted by China's import of Russian raw materials including oil,
Rogachev said.
He said economic agreements that expected to be signed by China and Russia
during Putin's visit would cover space flight, atomic energy, engineering
manufacturing, high technology, information technology and communications.
Premier Wen Jiabao and his Russian counterpart Mikhail Fradkov agreed last
month that the two countries would work together to push bilateral trade volume
past the US$60 billion mark by 2010.
Current Sino-Russian trade is surging at more than 20 per cent annually and
is expected to reach US$20 billion this year.
