Putin’s China visit expected to expand economic relations

Russian President Vladimir Putin's official visit to China on Saturday is expected to extend the two nations' economic, military and cultural cooperation, while a multi-billion-dollar high-speed deal expected to be signed, experts said. Leaders of the two countries will discuss further developing Russia-China relations and cooperation in trade, economy, investments, science and humanitarian efforts, according to the Kremlin Press Service. "Putin's visit may mainly focus on the two nations' economic cooperation, as well as propelling the signed contracts and projects forward, including a high-speed rail deal," Li Xing, a professor of Russian affairs at Beijing Normal University, told the Global Times on Wednesday. China has agreed to provide a 400-billion-ruble ($46.2 billion) loan for Russia's Moscow-Kazan High Speed Rail Project, Russian news portal sputniknews.com reported in April. "High-speed rail is a crucial part of Sino-Russian economic cooperation as Russia revitalizes its economy. The railway deal is expected to be signed during the visit," Li said. Russia is also considering a free trade agreement with several countries, including China, which experts believe might be discussed during the visit. "Russia's economy is still floundering, which may lead to a diminished Eurasian Economic Union. The group needs to cooperate with other major economic entities to thrive, and China might be a good partner," Zhang Hong, a research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. "Some experts used to believe that China's Belt and Road initiative might hinder Russia's Eurasian economic plans, but the two countries actually can benefit from cooperating with each other, as China also needs Russia to fulfill its plans in the region," Sergey Komissarov, director of the Confucius Class of the Humanitarian Institute at Novosibirsk State University, told the Global Times. Komissarov said he believes the two countries will also deepen their cooperation in military matters and coordinate in response to common security threats in the future. Earlier in June, the Chinese and Russian navies almost simultaneously sailed into the disputed waters near the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. "Russia's strategic space in Europe has been squeezed, while China is facing territorial disputes over the South China Sea. The similar situations may lead to further military cooperation," Li said. However, Zhang said that Russia will not support China in the South China Sea dispute, and the drills are more symbolic than anything else. "China and Russia will not be allies in a traditional sense, and future military cooperation is not meant to confront other countries, but to express the two countries' stance on certain international issues," Zhang said. More cultural cooperation is likewise expected during the visit, experts said. "I think it's a good time to develop the two countries' cultural cooperation, as many Russian students and their parents are interested in studying Chinese and the Chinese culture. We hope the visit can [promote] greater bilateral cooperation in science and education," Komissarov pointed out.