Negotiations between the delegations of Russia and China began in the Kremlin

Talks between Russian and Chinese delegations began in the Kremlin. Prior to that, at 15.00 in the St. George’s Hall of the Kremlin, the presentation of the delegations took place. From the Russian side, during the talks in a narrow format, participation is the first deputy chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, presidential aides Maxim Oreshkin and Yuri Ushakov, Russian Ambassador to China Igor Morgulov, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Chairman of the Central Bank Elvira Nabiullina, General Director of Roskosmos Yuri Borisov, Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugaev and Acting Deputy Director of the First Department of Asia of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vitaly Fadeev.

Six Deputy Prime Ministers, including Alexander Novak and Denis Manturov, as well as Presidential Aide Maxim Oreshkin, Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, Minister of Transport Vitaly Savelyev, and Minister of Finance will join the expanded talks with the Russian delegation. Anton Siluanov, head of Rosatom Dmitry Likhachev.

After the talks, the documents will be signed. The two main ones are a joint statement by the Russian Federation and China on deepening relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction entering a new era, and a joint statement on a plan to develop key areas of Russian-Chinese economic cooperation until 2030. Based on the results of the negotiations, about ten other papers.

The leaders of Russia and China are expected to make press statements at around 6:00 pm. Then, a state dinner will be held in the Palace of Facets with the participation of delegations and invited figures who are somehow related to the development of bilateral ties.

In the morning, Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. The premier congratulated Xi Jinping on his re-election as President of the People’s Republic of China and thanked him for the attention he pays to “the development of friendship and partnership between Russia and China.” Mishustin said that the governments of Russia and China should ensure coordinated work on the implementation of agreements to be reached at the highest level. Coordination of work is carried out at the level of five intergovernmental commissions and more than 80 subcommissions and working groups.

Mishustin recalled that in 2022 trade between the countries increased by almost a third and amounted to almost $190 billion. And in 2023, he is sure, the trade turnover is already 200 billion. Xi Jinping, in a conversation with Mishustin, explained why he chose Russia as the first country to visit after his re-election.

“This corresponds to historical logic, because we are each other’s largest neighboring powers. And we are also all-round strategic partners,” the Chinese leader said. He said he invited Putin to pay a visit to China, in particular, to participate in the third Belt and Road Forum. After that, he invited Mishustin to visit China so that he could establish “close ties with the new Premier of the State Council, Li Qiang.”

Xi Jinping’s three-day state visit to Russia began on March 20. This is his first foreign visit since his re-election as President of the People’s Republic of China. On the first day, Xi Jinping had an almost five-hour face-to-face conversation with Vladimir Putin. The press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, said that “a very thorough exchange of views took place.” They also discussed the Chinese peace plan for Ukraine, Peskov said, refusing to give any assessments and suggesting that they wait for the press statements of the leaders of the two countries.