Wednesday, October 14, 2009

China, Russia agree multi-billion dollar trade deals

Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin held talks with Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao in Beijing Tuesday, as the two countries agreed to bilateral economic and trade deals worth $4 billion, Chinese state media reported.
Russian and Chinese flags flying at Tiananmen Gate in honor of Vladimir Putin's visit to Beijing.

Russian and Chinese flags flying at Tiananmen Gate in honor of Vladimir Putin's visit to Beijing.

Wen hosted a welcome ceremony for Putin at the Great Hall of the People at the start of a three-day visit, before their private talks and a larger session involving ministers from both sides, Xinhua said.

"Russia and China have become genuine and comprehensive strategic and cooperative partners in recent years," Putin was quoted by Xinhua as saying.

Bilateral relations have become stable and mature since the forging of diplomatic ties 60 years ago and particularly the establishment of the Russia-China strategic cooperative partnership in 1996, Wen told reporters.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov said the deals included two $500-million-dollar banking deals -- one involving Russia's Vnesheconombank (VEB) and the China Development Bank and the other between Russia's VTB bank and the Agricultural Bank of China, Agence France-Presse reported.

Chinese and Russian negotiators also met Tuesday "to exchange views on China-Russia energy cooperation," according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.

In April, the two countries signed agreements on oil cooperation, while a memorandum of understanding on natural gas cooperation in followed in June.

But negotiations over the pricing of the gas have reportedly remained a major obstacle to a final deal, AFP said.

However, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan, who met with Zhukov at a joint economic forum earlier Tuesday, told reporters that the China-Russia oil pipeline project was going smoothly and the loan China pledged to Russia had been implemented, Xinhua said.

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The construction on the China section of an oil pipeline from Siberia started in May. The 1,030-kilometer (640-mile) pipeline runs from Skovorodino, Russia, to the city of Daqing in northeastern China.

China makes India unhappy, again

The tension continues to build between India and China.

After the war of words on Tuesday over Arunachal Pradesh, the new point of conflict is China's business plans in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Chinese President Hu Jintao has assured Pakistan that China will continue to engage in projects inside PoK.

Not ok, says India. "Pakistan has been in illegal occupation of parts of the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir since 1947. The Chinese side is fully aware of India's position and our concerns about Chinese activities in Pakistan occupied Kashmir," said External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash. India has asked China to stop business in PoK in view of "long-term relations."

On Monday, the Chinese president met with the Pakistani Prime Minister and said ""Howsoever, the international situation may change, the people of China and Pakistan are always joined in hearts and hands." The Chinese President outlined a major project to upgrade the Karakoram highway connecting the two countries overland and offered Chinese help in the Neelam-Jhelum hydroelectric project in PoK.

The new warning from India comes a day after China said it's furious with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh 11 days ago. India dismissed the protest by clarifying that Arunachal Pradesh is a part of India, and politicians are free to visit it whenever they want. India said it was "concerned and disappointed" by China's remarks about the prime minister's visit. External Affairs Minister SM Krishna also reiterated that despite Chinese protests, the Dalai Lama will visit Arunachal soon, but will refrain from making any political comments there. ......... See more news-http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/tension_continues_to_build_between_india_and_china.php