Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Russia eyes China hi-tech at presidential summit
MOSCOW: Chinese President Hu Jintao opened a giant trade fair alongside Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the second day of a visit intended to boost energy shipments and push trade to new highs.
The two presidents launched Chinaââ¬â¢s biggest-ever trade fair in a foreign country, where nearly 200 Chinese companies are showcasing their products in a sign of the growing economic ties between the neighboring countries.
ââ¬ÅWe are particularly interested in exhibitions devoted to innovative and information products, aviation, aeronautics and energy, the nuclear industry,ââ¬Â Putin said, presiding over a 20,000-square-metre (24,000-square-yard) display of products ranging from silk to high technology.
ââ¬ÅIncreasing numbers of Russian and Chinese entrepreneurs are beginning to make promising technological and industrial transactions in joint investment and innovation projects,ââ¬Â he said.
Russia wants Chinaââ¬â¢s help in kick-starting its high-technology sphere in exchange for helping to fill Chinaââ¬â¢s huge energy needs, analysts say.
The Chinese president on Monday achieved one of his key goals for the visit when he won an agreement for increased deliveries of Russian oil by rail.
Those deliveries should jump from the 11 million tonnes shipped in 2006 to 15 million tonnes per year, Russian Railways head Vladimir Yakunin told reporters.
China received a total of 15 million tonnes of Russian oil last year, and analysts say it is eager to secure guarantees for more.
In return, Russia wants to learn from Chinaââ¬â¢s example as one of the worldââ¬â¢s fastest-growing economies, former prime minister Yevgeny Primakov said.
ââ¬ÅWe are studying Chinaââ¬â¢s experience closely,ââ¬Â he told reporters at the fair. China and India ââ¬Åare growing twice as fast as the United States. The question is: To whom does the future of the world belong?ââ¬Â
Hu continues his energy quest Tuesday evening with a visit to Tatarstan, a mainly Muslim province in central Russia that has extensive oil reserves. The Chinese president will meet there on Wednesday with the regionââ¬â¢s leader Mintimir Shaimiyev.
New deals in other sectors should include plans to build a 300-million-dollar Chinese business center in Moscow and a contract to deliver 100,000 tonnes of Russian steel products worth about 500 million dollars by 2011, business daily Vedomosti reported Tuesday.
Agreements have already been signed between Russian and Chinese banks and space agencies. Russian media earlier reported that deals worth four billion dollars would be signed during Huââ¬â¢s visit.
Meeting Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov on Monday morning, Hu said: ââ¬ÅBoth sides should use this chance to strengthen trust in each other in all ways, to deepen practical cooperation.ââ¬Â
Hu and Putin talked up strong diplomatic ties between their countries, which have taken closely aligned positions in talks meant to end North Koreaââ¬â¢s nuclear weapons programme and stem Iranââ¬â¢s nuclear ambitions.
In a joint declaration Monday, the two presidents said the standoff over Iranââ¬â¢s nuclear programme ââ¬Åshould be resolved exclusively in a peaceful way,ââ¬Â and welcomed the ââ¬Åpositive dynamicââ¬Â in six-party talks aimed at curbing North Koreaââ¬â¢s nuclear programme.
Among the possible sources of discord during Huââ¬â¢s visit were Russian concerns about Chinaââ¬â¢s space ambitions, Chinese worries about the quality of Russian arms imports, and delays in building a Russian oil pipeline branch to the Chinese city of Daqing, business daily Kommersant said.
Both sides said bilateral trade jumped over the past year, though their statistics differed: China said trade grew 15 percent in 2006, while Russia said trade grew 43 percent over the same period.
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