The prime ministers of Russia and China, Vladimir Putin and Wen Jiabao, discussed topical international problems and bilateral economic relations. “We have just exchanged opinions in a narrow format on the development of our relations in the main trends, discussed most topical problems of international politics of the present and focussed on the economic aspects of cooperation,” Putin said on Tuesday, opening the Russian-Chinese inter-governmental talks in a broader format.
Putin recalled that addressing the economic forum his Chinese counterpart said the essential words that Russian-Chinese relations are based on confidence. “Relations between Russia and China have assumed the all-round character and show an upward trend, ” the Russian premier said. He expressed the confidence that the current visit of the premier of the PRC and of the Chinese government delegation “will promote the strengthening of strategic interaction.”
Wen Jiabao, noted that the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China would be observed next year. “Russia was among the first to recognize independence of the People’s Republic of China,” the premier of China’s State Council stressed. “We will use this occasion to deepen relations next year, too,” he said.
The premier of the State Council also noted that the national years 2006-2007 were “a great undertaking, strengthening mutual understanding.” In this connection he expressed the confidence that the holding of the Year of the Russian Language in China in 2009 and of the Year of the Chinese Language subsequently (in 2010) “will consolidate the public basis of our relations.”
