MOSCOW - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Monday said that he saw China as a "reliable partner", not a threat to Russia.

In an interview with local TV channels, Putin said that Moscow sees the "readiness of the Chinese people and the Chinese leadership to build friendly, neighborly relations" with Russia.

He said that Russia "has no plans to compete with China" for global leadership.

At Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's invitation, Putin arrived in Beijing on October 11 for a two-day official visit to China. During his visit, Putin held talks with Chinese top leaders on the further development of the strategic relations of cooperation and partnership between Russia and China.