AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to over 30 million articles from top publications available through your library.
Create a link to this page
Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:
(From Agence France Presse)
Russian President Vladimir Putin was set to arrive for a brief visit that will focus on the two countries' strategic partnership and expanding trade as well as Iraq and North Korea.
The visit comes on the heels of a major leadership transition in China, which saw Vice President Hu Jintao replace Chinese President Jiang Zemin as head of the communist party.
A host of younger leaders also replaced six of China's seven top leaders in the party hierarchy.
Putin will be looking to seek confirmation that China's foreign policy, especially regarding Russia, has not changed.
He is due to arrive in Beijing at 12:30 am (0430 GMT) Monday and meet with Jiang at the Great Hall of the People just nine hours later, according to China's foreign ministry.
The two leaders will attend a ceremony in which Putin and Jiang plan to sign a broad declaration outlining their convergence of views on foreign affairs, Russian officials said.