1st LD-Writethru: Russian president to visit China

Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to China on June 25, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang on Monday.

Putin will visit at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, Lu said in a press release.

Xi will hold talks with Putin and they will have an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral ties and issues of common concern, another Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, told a daily news briefing.

According to Hua, the two leaders will plan the development direction and priority cooperation areas of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, and they will sign important political documents and witness the signing of a series of documents of pragmatic cooperation.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and top legislator Zhang Dejiang will also meet Putin, Hua said.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the signing of the Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation and both sides will hold events to mark the occasion, Hua said.

China hopes that Putin's upcoming visit will consolidate mutual political and strategic trust, promote pragmatic cooperation in various areas, inject new impetus to bilateral ties, and contribute more to international and regional peace, security and stability. Endi