The Hindu : International : Energy tops Putin's China agenda

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Oct 15, 2004

International

International

Energy tops Putin's China agenda

By P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE, OCT. 14 . The Chinese President, Hu Jintao, and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, today held talks in Beijing amid expectations of a new dynamism in bilateral ties. As Mr. Putin arrived in Beijing, China announced its backing for Russia's candidature for the membership of the World Trade Organisation.

Closer engagement

A closer strategic and political engagement, apart from energy-related cooperation, is high on the agenda of the Sino-Russian summit. This has acquired added importance in the context of the Yukos affair in Russia and China's own growing energy needs.

Raising the stakes for his talks with the Chinese leaders, Mr. Putin said: "We have successfully overcome fundamental disputes and there are no matters that we cannot discuss with a candid attitude." Mr. Putin pledged to "make joint efforts with China's new generation leaders, including Mr. Hu to further solidify the foundation and build up an updated, sound and comfortable relationship."

On the energy front, given Russia's ability to produce abundant oil and natural gas for export, Mr. Putin said Moscow "hopes China becomes a reliable energy market, with its rising demands." He underlined that "no factors in politics, ideology and economy can hold back cooperation (with China) in this field."

A key political issue in Mr. Putin's talks with the Chinese leaders is the global anti-terror agenda and the avoidance of double standards. The Russian leader's three-day visit is a sequel to the talks that the Chinese Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao, held with Mr. Putin in Moscow recently.

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