From September 16 to 18, 2018, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Vice Premier Han Zheng paid a visit to Russia, during which he met with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, and co-chaired the 5th meeting of the China-Russia Investment Cooperative Committee with First Deputy Prime Minister Anton Siluanov of Russia and the 15th meeting of the China-Russia Energy Cooperation Committee with Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak of Russia.
When meeting with Putin, Han Zheng conveyed President Xi Jinping's warm greetings. Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude and asked Han Zheng to convey his sound wishes for President Xi Jinping.
Han Zheng expressed that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Russia relations, which are currently at the best period in history, have maintained its development at a high level with the increasingly deepened cooperation in various fields. A few days ago, President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin held the third meeting in Vladivostok within this year. They reached important consensus, charting the course for the development of China-Russia relations and cooperation in various fields. The Chinese side is willing to, together with the Russian side, take the successful holding of the first meetings of China-Russia Investment Cooperative Committee and China-Russia Energy Cooperation Committee after the establishment of new governments of the two countries as an opportunity, fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and propel bilateral cooperation in investment and energy to achieve new development, expand new fields, and yield new outcomes, so as to inject new impetus into the sustained and high-level development of China-Russia relations.
Vladimir Putin expressed that President Xi Jinping and I are truly good friends. A few days ago, we held a fruitful meeting, reaching important consensus on deepening Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination. The teams of cooperation mechanism of both sides join hands to make all-out efforts to implement the consensus of the two heads of state to promote the cooperation in investment and energy for fruitful achievements as well as major strategic cooperation programs and pipeline programs between Russia and China for rapid advancement. Both sides should continuously strengthen coordination and cooperation, open up new cooperation areas such as digital economy, modern biological gene, deep space and high-tech, and elevate the level of cooperation, so as to realize better development.
While chairing the 5th Meeting of China-Russia Investment Cooperation Committee, Han Zheng expressed that establishing the Investment Cooperation Committee is a strategic measure that complies with the strategic guidance of the two heads of state and focuses on comprehensively deepening practical cooperation as well as boosts the integration of interests and common prosperity. Under the joint efforts of both sides, the Committee has played an important role in facilitating the integration of the development strategies of both countries, strengthening policy communication and coordination, enhancing exchanges and cooperation among enterprises and pushing for the implementation of major projects, and it has become a significant platform and propeller for promoting the common development and rejuvenation of the two countries. The Chinese side always regards the Russian side as a prior partner for investment and cooperation, and stands ready to, together with the Russian side, comprehensively implement the consensus of the two heads of state as well as tap into cooperation potential with a higher vision, at a deeper level and in a wider realm, so as to translate the advantages of bilateral high-level political relations between the two countries into more cooperation achievements.
When chairing the 15th meeting of China-Russia Energy Cooperation Committee, Han Zheng expressed that energy cooperation is an important part of China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, and also the field of bilateral practical cooperation with the greatest significance, most fruitful outcomes and widest coverage. Thanks to the personal attention of the leaders of the two countries, the Committee strengthens overall coordination and promotes positive progress in energy cooperation between the two countries, showing a good development momentum. Both sides should continue to make good use of the committee mechanism, strive to translate the cooperation consensus into real projects, enhance converging interests, and achieve all-round cooperation integrating the upper, middle and lower reaches, in a bid to build an energy cooperative partnership featuring mutual benefit and win-win results.
Speaking highly of the overall coordination and promotion role of the investment and energy cooperation mechanisms of the two sides, the Russian side expressed the willingness to work with the Chinese side to fully implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, give full play to the mechanism platform and coordination role, and create new growth points for bilateral cooperation.
The meeting summarized and examined the outcomes of investment and energy cooperation between the two countries and reached a series of consensus on the cooperation planning in the next step. The two sides agreed to step up the implementation of the consensus of the meeting and make sound preparations for the 23rd regular meeting between the two prime ministers within this year.
After the meeting, Han Zheng signed the minutes of the meetings with Anton Siluanov and Dmitry Kozak respectively.
During his stay in Russia, Han Zheng also met respectively with CEO of Gazprom Alexey Miller and CEO of Rosneft Igor Sechin.