Putin's 1st official visit to Beijing enthuses Russian media

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(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-10-16 14:27

MOSCOW: Major Russian media have given extensive coverage of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's visit to China on October 12-14, speaking highly of the trip and expressing optimism over the prospects of Russian-China ties.

The two countries signed 12 agreements with a total value exceeding $4 billion on Tuesday. The two premiers held their 14th regular meeting in Beijing, which included a framework agreement on Russia's export of natural gas to China, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on high-speed trains and an agreement on mutual notification of ballistic missiles and launch of carrier rockets.

Russian media considered Putin's first official to Beijing as prime minister a success, saying the two countries had accomplished win-win situations in trade and economic cooperation.

The RIA Novosti news agency described the visit of the Russian delegation headed by Putin as fruitful, while Russian government daily Rossiskaya Gazeta published an article entitled "Putin promotes Russian economy in Beijing."

Alexey Maslov, director of the Center for Chinese Strategic Studies, was quoted by Russian business daily Vedomosti as saying that Putin's successful visit to Beijing might help Russian-Chinese trade regain the same level before the global financial crisis erupted.

FOCUSING ON ECONOMIC COOPERATION

Russian media have paid particular attention to economic cooperation between the two countries.

The RIA Novosti welcomed the MOU on high-speed trains in Russia's Far East, a line from Vladivostok to Khabarovsk which could use China's high-speed train technology. It said China boasted technology comparable to that of Europe, technology which could enable a train to run 350 km per hour.

The online newspaper Gazeta. Ru said this visit had met the high expectations of Russia regarding its cooperation with China in economic sector.

POSITIVE ON RUSSIA-CHINA TIES

The current Russian-Chinese relationship has also earned positive remarks, as Russian media emphasized the importance of China in Russia's foreign policies, and expressed optimism on the future development of bilateral ties.

Putin's visit to Beijing had advanced Russian-Chinese relations, said the Vremya Novostei daily, while the Moskovsky Komsomolet newspaper believed Russia regarded the East as its strategic focal point.

Dmitry Badovsky, head of the privately-funded thinktank Institute for Social Systems, was quoted by Vedomosti as saying that cooperation with China was of strategic significance to Russia. Besides geopolitical factors, he said, China could also share its experience on modernization with Russia.

Meanwhile, Mikhail Margelov, chairman of the International Relations Committee of the upper house of Russia's parliament, was cited by Gazeta.Ru as saying that the Russian-Chinese friendship had a brilliant future, as a mutually beneficial and pragmatic partnership had already been forged by the two countries.