According to Sergei Ivanov, his meeting with the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping confirmed the identity of views held by Moscow and Beijing on a number of issues and demonstrated that the Chinese leadership is determined to develop multifaceted relations with Russia.
The official said the leaders of Russia and China are soon to meet in Brazil, the venue of the upcoming BRICS summit. “As far as I know, before the end of the year you are also planning bilateral meetings in the course of the APEC, SCO and G20 summits” — Mr Ivanov said during his meeting with the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping, noting that such intensive top-level contacts are evidence of a strategic partnership between Russia and China.
Mr Ivanov also noted the significance of his meeting with the Head of the Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee Li Zhanshu. The Chinese official, in his turn, confirmed that Mr Ivanov was the first Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of another country received by the Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee.
The Russian official also visited the Russian Language Centre of the Beijing Foreign Languages University, where he spoke to students. The discussion covered various aspects of Russian-Chinese cooperation, specifically in the energy sphere. Mr Ivanov told the students that the construction of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline, worth an estimated 60–70 billion rubles, is to begin shortly. Besides, he said, joint work is underway to create a jumbo jet and a heavy transport helicopter. “There are quite a few transportation projects, including the construction of a major highway from China, through the territory of Kazakhstan to the Baltic coast of Russia” – the Russian official said.