Putin to visit China this month: FM
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-03-07 16:18

At the invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao, Russia's President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit China later this month, said Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing here on Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing speaks at the press conference in Beijing March 7, 2006. [Xinhua]

"The visit is expected to boost the all-round development of the Sino-Russian Strategic Partnership of Cooperation, and facilitate world peace, stability and development," he said.

Li said during Putin's visit, the two presidents would jointly attend the opening ceremony of "the Year of Russia" in China and a Sino-Russia high-level business forum.

The two sides would also issue political documents and sign a series of mutual cooperative treaties.

Li made the remarks at a press conference held on the sidelines of the ongoing annual full session of the Tenth National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

President Hu to visit US soon 

Chinese President Hu Jintao is going to visit the United States shortly, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said.

It is the first time that Hu visits the United States as Chinese president. Both sides are busy preparing for the visit, Li said.

Li stressed that the Taiwan issue is the "biggest" factor affecting Sino-U.S. relations, expressing the hope that the U.S. side sticks to the one-China policy, observes the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, has a clear understanding of the dangerous nature of "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and activities, and takes concrete measures to oppose such attempts.

The minister called on the U.S. side not to send false signals to "Taiwan independence" secessionists and work together with China to safeguard the peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits region and the overall interests in Sino-U.S. relations.

"We are ready to work with the U.S. side to strengthen mutual understanding, expand common ground, deepen mutual trust, promote cooperation, and properly settle our differences with a view of promoting the sound development of bilateral relations," Li said.

Defense Budget

China's defense budget is much smaller than that of the United States despite the expected rise of 14.7 percent this year, Li said at the press conference.

The per capita defense budget of China is only one-seventy- seventh that of the United States, he said.

The increase will bring China's defense budget to 280.729 billion yuan (35 billion U.S. dollars) in 2006.

People should learn to see through the figure and seek basic facts behind the percentage, Li said. It is well known that China takes a defensive strategy, the minister said.