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Putin wants high-speed rail system
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin kicks off a three-day visit to China Monday in hopes of signing $5.5 billion worth of business deals in energy, transport and communications sectors, and to discuss options on combating terrorism and separatism.
Hailing Sino-Russian ties as the best since the collapse of China-Soviet Union relations in the 1960s, experts said energy cooperation will be highest on Putin's agenda.
Putin wants high-speed rail system
According to a draft list obtained by Reuters, a total of 34 deals valued at more than $5.5 billion will be signed during the visit.
They range from a $500 million loan agreement between China's Development Bank and its Russian equivalent, VEB, to joint projects in transport, infrastructure, construction and mineral extraction.
Putin will attend the 14th bilateral prime ministers' regular meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Premier Wen Jiabao.
Putin, who stepped down as president last year but remains Russia's most influential figure, visited China for the first time in July 2000 after being officially sworn into office.
Putin and Wen will also sign an intergovernmental agreement on the notification of the upcoming ballistic missile launches, as well as agreements on cross-border migration, Reuters reported.
"The warning before launches is the first-ever between China and Russia, also rarely seen in the world," Li Daguang, a military expert at China's National Defense University, told the Global Times, adding that "the launches of ballistic missiles are core State-secrets that will not be notified to other countries, except when they are friendly enough."
He also noted that it is a positive result of China's military-centered parade on National Day earlier this month.
"China-Russia relations are at their best since the collapse of Soviet Union relations in the 1960s," Jia Qingguo, dean of the School of International Studies at Peking University, told the Global Times yesterday.
Russia could secure colossal financial support from China, due to sustainable and mutually beneficial economic ties, he said.
High-speed railway
China and Russia are also preparing to sign other
agreements, including a memorandum of understanding on a high-speed railway system in Russia.
Russia is lagging behind China in its development of road and rail infrastructure, with many of its subway trains unchanged since the Soviet Union era.
In the 1950s, the former Soviet Union helped China with railway construction, among other projects, according to Zhou Shijian, a senior researcher at the Institute of Sino-US Relations at Tsinghua University.
"Now, it's our turn to help them build railways," Zhou said. "The deal indicates that our technology has surpassed theirs. Reform and opening up enabled China, a developing nation, to catch up."
An industry insider said China's high-speed railway technology impressed politicians from more than 30 countries during the past years, including those from the US, Britain and Japan.
The capability to build new railway lines for trains of up to 350 kilometers an hour, as well as the relatively lower costs, were the major competitive edges China has, he said.
Energy cooperation highlighted
"China will further promote the energy cooperation between the two countries, and endeavor to ensure that the Sino-Russian crude-oil pipeline goes into operation before the end of 2010 and starts supplying oil in 2011," Wang Guangya, China's vice minister of foreign affairs, said at a press conference Friday.
In another development, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and Rosneft Oil will reportedly sign a $4 billion agreement on an oil refinery in Tianjin, North China, with a productivity of 15 million tons of petroleum products, during Putin's stay.
In October 2008, the two countries signed an agreement to launch a crude pipeline from Skovorodino, Russia's Eastern Siberia, to China, to transport about 20 million tons of oil. Another agreement in the works includes China agreeing in February to provide $25 billion in loans for 15 million tons of oil from Russia annually over the next 20 years.
"As far as I know, there are many more deals to be signed, other than the reported 38," said Xia Yishan, head of the China Energy Strategy Research Center under the China Institute of International Studies, adding that energy cooperation ranging from natural gas, oil, and nuclear power would gain major progress.
According to Russian media reports, members of the ruling United Russia party attended a forum Thursday featuring "State management" in north China. The Russian officials were interested in learning how the Communist Party of China successfully led the country through the global economic crisis, according to the Russian newspaper Businessmen.
Russia's trade with China soared to $56.8 billion in 2008 from $9.3 billion in 2002. The share of oil in Russia's exports stands at 56 percent, with metals at 5 percent, while the share of machinery stands at 4.4 percent, statistics showed.
As the international financial order undergoes subtle changes, the status of both the ruble and reminbi will rise, and they become stable currencies, said Wang Lijiu, a researcher of Russia at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
Bilateral cooperation by the pair would be conducive to the recovery of world economy, Wang said.
Zhang Han and Guo Qiang contributed to this story
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin kicks off a three-day visit to China Monday in hopes of signing $5.5 billion worth of business deals in energy, transport and communications sectors, and to discuss options on combating terrorism and separatism.
Hailing Sino-Russian ties as the best since the collapse of China-Soviet Union relations in the 1960s, experts said energy cooperation will be highest on Putin's agenda.
Putin wants high-speed rail system
According to a draft list obtained by Reuters, a total of 34 deals valued at more than $5.5 billion will be signed during the visit.
They range from a $500 million loan agreement between China's Development Bank and its Russian equivalent, VEB, to joint projects in transport, infrastructure, construction and mineral extraction.
Putin will attend the 14th bilateral prime ministers' regular meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Premier Wen Jiabao.
Putin, who stepped down as president last year but remains Russia's most influential figure, visited China for the first time in July 2000 after being officially sworn into office.
Putin and Wen will also sign an intergovernmental agreement on the notification of the upcoming ballistic missile launches, as well as agreements on cross-border migration, Reuters reported.
"The warning before launches is the first-ever between China and Russia, also rarely seen in the world," Li Daguang, a military expert at China's National Defense University, told the Global Times, adding that "the launches of ballistic missiles are core State-secrets that will not be notified to other countries, except when they are friendly enough."
He also noted that it is a positive result of China's military-centered parade on National Day earlier this month.
"China-Russia relations are at their best since the collapse of Soviet Union relations in the 1960s," Jia Qingguo, dean of the School of International Studies at Peking University, told the Global Times yesterday.
Russia could secure colossal financial support from China, due to sustainable and mutually beneficial economic ties, he said.
High-speed railway
China and Russia are also preparing to sign other
agreements, including a memorandum of understanding on a high-speed railway system in Russia.
Russia is lagging behind China in its development of road and rail infrastructure, with many of its subway trains unchanged since the Soviet Union era.
In the 1950s, the former Soviet Union helped China with railway construction, among other projects, according to Zhou Shijian, a senior researcher at the Institute of Sino-US Relations at Tsinghua University.
"Now, it's our turn to help them build railways," Zhou said. "The deal indicates that our technology has surpassed theirs. Reform and opening up enabled China, a developing nation, to catch up."
An industry insider said China's high-speed railway technology impressed politicians from more than 30 countries during the past years, including those from the US, Britain and Japan.
The capability to build new railway lines for trains of up to 350 kilometers an hour, as well as the relatively lower costs, were the major competitive edges China has, he said.
Energy cooperation highlighted
"China will further promote the energy cooperation between the two countries, and endeavor to ensure that the Sino-Russian crude-oil pipeline goes into operation before the end of 2010 and starts supplying oil in 2011," Wang Guangya, China's vice minister of foreign affairs, said at a press conference Friday.
In another development, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and Rosneft Oil will reportedly sign a $4 billion agreement on an oil refinery in Tianjin, North China, with a productivity of 15 million tons of petroleum products, during Putin's stay.
In October 2008, the two countries signed an agreement to launch a crude pipeline from Skovorodino, Russia's Eastern Siberia, to China, to transport about 20 million tons of oil. Another agreement in the works includes China agreeing in February to provide $25 billion in loans for 15 million tons of oil from Russia annually over the next 20 years.
"As far as I know, there are many more deals to be signed, other than the reported 38," said Xia Yishan, head of the China Energy Strategy Research Center under the China Institute of International Studies, adding that energy cooperation ranging from natural gas, oil, and nuclear power would gain major progress.
According to Russian media reports, members of the ruling United Russia party attended a forum Thursday featuring "State management" in north China. The Russian officials were interested in learning how the Communist Party of China successfully led the country through the global economic crisis, according to the Russian newspaper Businessmen.
Russia's trade with China soared to $56.8 billion in 2008 from $9.3 billion in 2002. The share of oil in Russia's exports stands at 56 percent, with metals at 5 percent, while the share of machinery stands at 4.4 percent, statistics showed.
As the international financial order undergoes subtle changes, the status of both the ruble and reminbi will rise, and they become stable currencies, said Wang Lijiu, a researcher of Russia at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
Bilateral cooperation by the pair would be conducive to the recovery of world economy, Wang said.
Zhang Han and Guo Qiang contributed to this story
