Putin's close ties with China

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Shanghai on Tuesday to begin his state visit to China and attend the upcoming Asian security summit. He will attend the fourth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in Shanghai.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin will hold talks on Tuesday and make a "substantial" statement, and also witness the signing of a series of important bilateral cooperation agreements. It will be Putin's first visit to China since Xi took office and the second meeting between the two this year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his then wife Lyudmila look out from the top of the Great Wall of China at Badaling, north of Beijing, Dec 3, 2002. [Photo/IC]

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