Vladimir Putin to begin China visit for World War II commemoration and bilateral talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to kick off a two-day visit to China during which he will hold a series of bilateral talks with Chinese leaders and also attend the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. Putin will meet Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday, 2 September, to discuss a range of issues, the Kremlin said. "They will mainly focus on issues of trade and economic cooperation," Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters.

Several regional, international and key economic issues are set to figure in the bilateral meeting with Putin indicating that the ties between the two countries are at a "historic peak". Embarking on his visit, the Russian president said: "Our two countries were allies in the fight against Nazism and Japanese militarism and bore the brunt of the aggression, and they not only withstood this battle, but won it, liberating enslaved peoples and bringing peace to the planet."

Stating that the "illegitimate sanctions imposed by certain Western countries" have not affected Sino-Russia ties, Putin added: "Our countries are consistently moving towards the creation of a strategic energy alliance. Both Moscow and Beijing are set to intensify our financial partnership, including mutual settlements in national currencies."

China will hold a massive military parade in which 12,000 troops, warplanes, tanks and artillery will take part in Beijing. On the sidelines of his China trip, the Russian leader will also meet the presidents of Venezuela, Laos and the Czech Republic. "Special attention will be paid to possible joint steps on stabilising prices in the global oil market, particularly in the context of cooperation between Russia and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)," Ushakov added.