CHINA: BEIJING: RUSSIAN PM KASYANOV VISIT

(4 Nov 2000) Natural Sound
XFA
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov laid a wreath at the People's Heroes Martyrs Monument on Tiananmen Square in the centre of Beijing on Saturday.

This was the last official event of his two day visit to China's capital.

During his stay, Kasyanov had meetings with Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Li Peng on separate occasions.

Chinese and Russian leaders pledged on Friday to work for closer economic cooperation and signed a series of agreements between the two countries.

The wreath laying at Tiananmen square is now a regular ceremony for visiting Russian leaders.

The honouring of martyrs of the revolution at the monument has become a symbol of brotherhood between the two nations.

After two days of meetings Chinese officials said relations have never been better between the two countries.

The Chinese and Russian prime ministers signed agreements on Friday to strengthen economic and strategic ties.

The agreements came after almost two hours of talks between Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov and Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji.

They also touched on enhancing scientific and military cooperation.

Russian media have quoted Russia's deputy prime minister as saying the two sides were close to a deal to sell China sophisticated early-warning radar planes.

A Russian embassy official flatly denied that the sale was part of Friday's talks.

In July, Washington blocked Israel from selling similar technology to China for fear it might blunt the edge of U-S-made fighter planes in Taiwan's air force.

Among the agreements signed on Friday were a potentially lucrative deal to build pipelines linking natural gas fields in Russia's Far East with energy-hungry consumers and factories in China and South Korea.

Another agreement promised a big role for Russian financing and technology in a nuclear power plant being built in China's central Jiangsu province.

Kasyanov, whose two-day visit is his first as Russia's premier, met President Jiang Zemin and legislative leader Li Peng, the No. 2 Chinese leader after Jiang.

After decades of Soviet-era rivalry, China has become a key buyer of Russian military hardware and important trade partner of Moscow's.

The two sides also share common concerns over what they regard as U-S domination of global affairs and have called for a more balanced "multipolar" world.

They also object to a proposed U-S missile defence system, saying it will spark a new arms race.

In a joint statement, Zhu and Kasyanov reaffirmed an agreement in July by China and Russia condemning the proposed U-S missile shield.

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