China, Russia to sign a host of cooperation deals during Xi’s visit to Moscow

World 4 May, 2015 14:26

China and Russia will sign a host of deals on energy, finances and investment during a visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to Moscow on May 8-10, Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Gopin said on Monday.
"Shortly before the scheduled visit by Xi Jinping, Chinese Vice-Premiers Wang Yang and Zhang Gaoli held meetings with their Russian counterparts and necessary preparations were made for the visit by China’s leader," the diplomat said.
"The corresponding documents will be signed during the visit. They will relate to interaction in energy, aviation, finances, taxation and investment. The visit by Xi Jinping will give an impetus to further development of practical cooperation between Russia and China," the Chinese diplomat said.
During the visit by the Chinese leader to Moscow, "meetings are planned with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a narrow and an enlarged format along with the document-signing ceremony," he added.
The Chinese leader with also hold a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, the Chinese diplomat said.
During the visit, the sides will sign a joint declaration on closer strategic and comprehensive interaction and partnership between Russia and China.
Russia and China are likely to approve final documents on the project of the Russian-Chinese heavy helicopter and will also discuss a possibility for China to cooperate with the post-Soviet Eurasian Economic Union as part of China’s Silk Road transport corridor between Europe and Asia.
Energy to top agenda of Putin-Xi meeting - Chinese ambassador

Energy cooperation will top the agenda of a summit meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Moscow, China’s Ambassador to Russia Lee Huei said on April 29.
Details of the documents that will be signed during the meeting "will become known closer to the visit by the Chinese leader to Russia somewhere two days before its start," he said.
It is not ruled out that the Russian and Chinese leaders will discuss the prospects of concluding a bilateral agreement on gas supplies via the western route, China’s ambassador said.
"Energy cooperation will be a major issue at the negotiations between our leaders," the Chinese diplomat said.
Russian and Chinese companies are currently negotiating the terms of an agreement on gas supplies via the western route while an agreement on gas deliveries via the eastern route has already been signed, China’s ambassador to Moscow said.
Russia’s gas supplies to China via western route
Russia and China are expected to sign a contract on gas supplies along the "western route" to pump Russian natural gas from its West Siberian gas fields to its eastern neighbor.
Gazprom Head Alexey Miller held talks in China on February 13 on Russian natural gas supplies via the western route. Miller said after the talks that the project of a gas pipeline to run along the western route was at an advanced stage of readiness for the commencement of its construction. Russia was preparing a new contract with China for the supply of 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year, the Gazprom head said at the time.
Gazprom and China’s CNPC signed a framework agreement on November 10, 2014 on Russian natural gas supplies to China via the western route, using the Altai gas pipeline system. Direct supplies are scheduled to begin in 2019. The western route project will supplement Russia’s natural gas supplies to its eastern neighbor via the Power of Siberia pipeline.
Russia’s gas supplies to China via eastern route

The Power of Siberia gas pipeline estimated at over $21 billion is intended to pump 61 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually to the Russian Far East and China and will stretch over a distance of 3,968 km (2,465 miles).
The pipeline is designed to pump natural gas from the giant Chayanda oil and gas condensate deposit in Yakutia in northeast Russia and the Kovykta gas condensate field in the Irkutsk Region in Eastern Siberia. The Power of Siberia will run along the operational East Siberia - Pacific oil pipeline, crossing marshlands, mountainous and seismically active areas.
The gas pipeline’s first stage is scheduled to be commissioned in 2017.
The Chayanda oil and gas condensate field in the Lensky district of Yakutia was discovered in 1989. The field, one of Russia’s largest undeveloped deposits, holds about 1.45 trillion cubic meters of natural gas and 93 million tons of liquid hydrocarbons. The field is expected to produce up to 25 billion cubic meters of natural gas and at least 1.5 million tons of oil annually.
The Kovykta gas condensate deposit discovered in 1987 is located in the north of the Irkutsk Region. The deposit’s reserves are estimated at 1.9 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, 2.3 billion cubic meters of helium and 115 million tons of liquid gas condensate.