The official part of the President’s visit to China started with a welcoming ceremony in Tiananmen, Beijing’s central square.
During a meeting at the People’s Assembly in Beijing, Messrs Putin and Jiang discussed topical aspects of global and regional security, including anti-missile defence. Bilateral relations also had a prominent place on the agenda.
Both countries’ delegations later joined the Russian and Chinese leaders. Taking part in the negotiations on Russia’s behalf were Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Dmitry Medvedev and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Prikhodko.
At the start of the second round of consultations, Mr Putin said that the main goal of his visit to China was to cement already-strong Russian-Chinese relations and chart long-term prospects for bilateral ties.
The Russian and Chinese leaders signed the Beijing Declaration, which summarised the negotiations. The document highlights the development of wide-ranging cooperation in trade, the economy, research, technology and the military-technical field among the key aspects of progress in Russian-Chinese relations, equal and trustful partnership, and strategic interaction. The parties pledge to take effective, practical measures on a bilateral and multi-lateral basis to combat ethnic separatism, international terrorism, religious extremism and transnational crime, the declaration says.
The Russian and Chinese leaders also made a joint statement on anti-missile defence, in which they spoke in favour of preserving and closely complying with the ABM Treaty, and denounced US plans for a national ABM defence, which the treaty bans.
The parties also signed a number of inter-governmental and inter-departmental documents, among them an agreement on promoting energy partnership, another agreement on cooperation in building a fast neutron reactor, and a partnership agreement between Vnesheconombank and the Bank of China.
Messrs Putin and Jiang made press statements after the signing ceremony. Mr Putin stressed that Russia and China were able to make immense contributions to international security, and they intended to further demonstrate their shared views on preserving the existing world balance. He added that the two countries’ shared position in that field was principled and essential from the point of view of preserving global security.
The Russian President also referred to the prospects of the two countries’ economic and military-technical partnership. He called journalists’ attention to the representatives of economic and security agencies of the Russian Government at the Beijing negotiations. Mr Putin highlighted the energy industry, machine-building and aerospace technologies among the spheres in which Russia and China intend to step up ties as part of their work towards a trustful strategic partnership.