Asia-Pacific

Medvedev to visit China in flurry of exchanges

By Cheng Guangjin (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-12-22 08:45

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will visit China next year and bilateral visits between Russia and China are set to boom, said Russian ambassador to China Sergey Razov yesterday in Beijing.

In addition to Medvedev's visit to China, Chinese Premier Wen Jiaobao will visit Russia and there will be frequent exchanges at the ministerial level, said Razov.

Meetings between leaders from the two countries will also occur next year on multilateral platforms including the G20, APEC, BRIC, China-Russia-India and Shanghai Cooperation Organization summits, the ambassador said.

Razov also told the press that the oil and gas pipeline negotiation between the two countries continues, and an oil-refining plant is sure to be built inside China when the deal is signed.

"There is huge potential of cooperation between China and Russia, especially in energy," said Shen Shishun, a senior researcher at China Institute of International Studies.

However, the negotiations have lasted for so many years that the Chinese have become dubious about Russia's credit, according to Feng Zhaokui, an expert on Northeast Asia studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"The decision-making process should be much faster and more reliable," said Feng. "I hope the day will come soon for our President Hu Jintao to turn on the tap of the oil and gas pipeline in Russia."

Two events will mark the start of the exchanges between the two countries next year: the opening of the Chinese Language Year in Russia and the 65th Anniversary of the victory of World War II, according to Razov.

"We both have made significant efforts in fighting with the Nazis during World War II," said Razov. "We should celebrate the victory together."

"The two countries both think their strategic partnership will grow more mature, stable and efficient as time goes by," he said.