Putin, Xi meet in Moscow before they head for G20 summit

Chinese President Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Moscow for what his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin has described as “a major event in bilateral relations.” 

Xi arrived in Moscow on Monday for a two-day trip before he travels to Germany to take part in an upcoming G20 summit in Hamburg.

Before his departure for the state visit to Russia, Xi said, "Our two countries have built a high level of political and strategic trust… I believe the visit will lend new impetus to the growth of bilateral relations.” "Economic cooperation and trade is the most wide-ranging area in our practical cooperation and enjoys great potential," he added.

He also expressed hope that the G20 will continue to "uphold the spirit of partnership for win-win cooperation.” "Global growth continues to gather momentum, as both developed countries and emerging markets show stronger economic performance. However, grave challenges remain. Therefore, it is particularly important for the G20 to play its role as a premier forum for international economic cooperation.”

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“This evening, within Chinese President Xi Jinping's official visit, there will be an informal dinner for President Putin and Xi Jinping at the Kremlin,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. He added that Xi’s official visit, which includes bilateral talks, will begin on Tuesday.  

“It will have an unusual format [of the meeting]: the leaders will meet [Russian and Chinese] representatives of the public, businesses and media, who will briefly inform Putin and Xi Jinping on their cooperation,” added Peskov.

Putin will also bestow upon Xi one of Russia’s utmost honors, the order of St. Andrew the First-Called, for his extreme efforts towards bolstering ties between Russia and China. Xi’s meeting with Putin will be the third of its kind this year.

According to Russia’s ambassador to China, Andrey Denisov, during the visit China and Russia will sign multiple contracts for the collective worth of over $10 billion in various fields.

“We’re discussing a number of draft documents, both on government and corporate levels. And we have dozens of documents relating to the former group,” he added.

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He went on to note that close relations permit the two countries “to pursue a rather close course on various aspects of the agenda of international organizations, including the United Nations.”

“When good intentions framed in lofty words lead to chaos, the collapse of states and, in the long run, to bloodshed and numerous human casualties, the role of stabilizers, of the factors that may have a cooling, stabilizing effect on the generally turbulent international situation is very important. And Russian-Chinese relations are, to my mind, such a stabilizing factor,” he added.

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