Russia and China have pledged to expand cooperation, particularly in the
energy sector. An agreement on a second route to supply China with
Russian gas gives Moscow a boost amid EU and US sanctions. The leaders
of China and Russia on Sunday pledged to enhance mutual cooperation,
notably in the field of energy, at a meeting in Beijing ahead of next
week's Asia-Pacific Economic cooperation (APEC) summit. News reports
said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart
Xi Jinping signed 17 documents relating to cooperation in the natural
gas sector. Other deals signed in their presence included a memorandum
on mutual understanding between Russia natural-gas giant Gazprom and the
China Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), and a number of banking
agreements. "Whatever changes happen in the international situation, we
should follow the chosen line, should expand and develop the
overwhelming mutually advantageous cooperation," Xi was quoted as saying
by the Russian
Itar-Tass news agency. Putin said cooperation between Russia and China
was "extremely important," the agency reported. One of the major
agreements struck at the meeting concerns a second major route to
transport Russian gas to China via Siberia, following an initial
$400-million (321.2-million-euro) deal signed in May on an eastern
route. The deals give Russia a welcome boost as it continues to suffer
economically under sanctions imposed by Washington and the European
Union over its alleged role in the Ukraine crisis. Strengthening
relations The meeting was the tenth between the two leaders since Xi
came to power in March 2013, according to China's official People's
Daily. Ties between China and Russia have been strengthened in recent
times by their shared geopolitical concerns, including a wary stance
towards the United States. Both wield veto power on the United Nations
Security Council, and often vote together, sometimes opposing Western
powers on issues such as policy on the Syria conflict. Putin said on
Sunday that Russian-Chinese cooperation was "very important for keeping
the world within the framework of international law, to make it more
stable, more predictable." "Together we've done a lot to achieve that,
and I am sure we will work in this direction in the future," he added.
Putin is in China for the APEC summit, which starts on Monday. The
meeting will also be attended by US President Barack Obama, Japan's
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other leaders. tj/rc (AP, dpa, AFP)
Analytics pixel
