Russian, Chinese Leaders to Meet Five Times in 2014

BOCHAROV RUCHEI, February 6 (RIA Novosti) – The leaders of Russia and China are scheduled to meet five times this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Sochi on Thursday.

Annual trade between Russia and China currently stands at $87 billion and is expected to hit $100 billion in the coming years, according to the Russian leader.

“Our bilateral ties get better and better, although it might seem that everything is good to the point when there is little room left for improvement,” Putin said.

“We have five top-level meetings scheduled for this year,” he said.

Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists later that Putin will pay two visits to China in 2014.

The first visit, to Shanghai, is due in May and the second, to Beijing, will be held in the run-up to the G20 summit in Brisbane in mid-November.

Putin also praised security and military cooperation between Moscow and Beijing, notably participation in the Syrian chemical disarmament program.

“Russia and China make a substantial contribution to global development and security,” he said.

Putin and Jinping met in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, where the Winter Olympic Games are set to open Friday.