Russia and China strengthen bilateral ties: 50 more agreements as Li reaches Moscow

© Xinhua

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang reached Moscow for an official visit on 12 September 2014

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang reached Moscow Sunday afternoon for an official visit during which he will attend the 19th China-Russia Prime Ministers' Regular Meeting with his counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev.

The two sides are expected to sign over 50 agreements ranging from energy, finance and railways.

"With my visit, I am looking forward to further deepening the traditional friendship between China and Russia, and expanding our pragmatic cooperation, so as to achieve greater advancement in the development of bilateral ties," Li said.

Li and Medvedev will also attend an international forum on innovation. This is Li's first visit to Russia since he took office in March 2013.

The Chinese Premier is also slated to hold talks with the Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as other Russian leaders like Valentina Matviyenko, chairwoman of the Federation Council or the upper house of parliament, and Sergei Naryshkin, speaker of the State Duma or the lower house of parliament.

Li's visit is expected to boost political trust between Beijing and Moscow and strengthen their support for each other on global issues.

"China stands ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Russia on international issues," said Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping ahead of Li's visit.

Relations between Moscow and Beijing are at an all-time high. Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with Putin nine times since taking office in March last year, four times this year alone.

Official figures say China has been Russia's biggest trading partner over the last four consecutive years and is also the fourth largest source of investment for Russia.

Bilateral trade reached $89.2 billion last year and plans are afoot to raise the volume to $100 billion by 2015 and to 200 billion by 2020.