Xi's visits to Russia, Germany to boost bilateral ties, G20 cooperation

BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming tour to Russia and Germany will boost respective bilateral ties and G20 cooperation, senior Chinese officials said Thursday.

Xi will pay state visits to Russia and Germany from July 3 to 6, and attend the 12th G20 summit in Hamburg on July 7 and 8.

Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks, and meet with the press. The two leaders will map out the direction and goals for the development of bilateral ties, further deepen political mutual trust, and promote cooperation, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Li Huilai said at a press conference.

It will be Xi's sixth tour to Russia since taking office, and will mark the third time the two heads of state have met this year, Li said.

Xi and Putin will sign a joint statement and approve the 2017-2020 implementation outline for the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between China and Russia, Li said.

The two sides will also ink a series of cooperative documents on areas such as trade, economy, investment, connectivity, media, and education.

The visit to Russia is expected to boost the high-level development of bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination to new heights, and contribute to regional and global peace and prosperity, he said.

During Xi's visit to Germany, he will meet with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Xi will also hold talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, attend the opening ceremony of Berlin Zoo's "Panda Garden", and watch a football match between Chinese and German youth teams.

The Chinese and German leaders will exchange views on deepening political mutual trust, expanding practical cooperation, reinforcing cooperation within the framework of the G20, and address other regional or global hot issues, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Chao said. The two sides will also ink a series of cooperative documents.

"Germany is a core country in the European Union (EU) and an all-round strategic partner of China," said Wang, noting that the visit is very important to promote bilateral ties and the China-EU relationship.

On the G20 summit, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Li Baodong said China has four main expectations, namely to carry out the consensus reached at the G20 summit in Hangzhou last year, to build an open world economy, to promote innovation and development, and to send positive messages of G20 cooperation and coordination.