Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is set to visit the Chinese mainland from December 19 to 20 for the 28th regular meeting between the heads of government of Russia and the Chinese mainland, his Chinese mainland counterpart, Li Qiang. Scheduled at the year's end, the meeting will outline plans for the coming year and review the achievements of the past twelve months.
Over the past year, China and Russia have made significant strides, particularly in bilateral trade. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the target of $200 billion in trade for the upcoming year has already been surpassed, with projections reaching $220–230 billion. Last year saw a 31 percent increase in trade, and a 30 percent growth is expected this year. Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov highlighted an ambitious goal of $300 billion by 2030, a topic likely to be discussed during this visit.
The historic level of bilateral trade this year has been propelled by a surge in Russian energy exports to China. Russia emerged as China's largest oil and gas supplier at the start of the year. This strong position is expected to continue, bolstered by the mega gas deal reached in October at the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, increased oil supplies, and ongoing negotiations over the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline.
Prime Minister Mishustin is anticipated to address these aspects of their economic relationship, particularly advancing discussions on the pipeline project. Beyond energy, connectivity, logistics, and real-sector trade remain important areas of focus. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko reiterated in an interview with Interfax that Russia's envisioned Greater Eurasian Partnership aims to integrate the Eurasian Economic Union with the Belt and Road Initiative.
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The Russian PM's visit to China will chart the next year's plans
cgtn.com
