Russian premier arrives in China for inter-governmental meeting

ISTANBUL

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Monday arrived in China on a two-day official visit, to attend an inter-governmental meeting.

The Russian government announced Mishustin’s arrival in China in a statement on Telegram, which said the Russian premier was greeted by officials, including Moscow and Beijing’s ambassadors to each other’s countries.

Mishustin, on his arrival, is scheduled to participate in the 30th regular meeting of the heads of government of the two countries in the city of Hangzhou with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, the statement added.

The previous regular meeting held between the Russian and Chinese prime ministers took place in Moscow in August 2024.

On Sunday, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko co-chaired the 29th session of the committee for regular meetings between the two governments in Ningbo city of eastern Zhejiang province.

Late last month, a Russian government statement said that other than taking part in the regular meeting in Hangzhou, Mishustin will also meet with President Xi Jinping in the Chinese capital Beijing. The statement did not specify the exact date for the talks.

“During the upcoming meetings, current issues related to strengthening Russian-Chinese relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation are planned to be discussed,” the statement said, noting that priority will be given to deepening cooperation in various areas, including trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian fields.

It said Mishustin’s meetings in China will also seek to promote joint projects in energy, industry, agriculture, education, and other areas.

During Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Beijing in May last year, he and Xi signed a joint statement to further deepen their strategic partnership as the two nations marked the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Bilateral trade volume between Russia and China has also reached a new milestone, hitting $240 billion.