Putin expected to visit China in May, September - representative of Central Committee of Chinese Communist Party
MOSCOW. March 24 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit China in May 2017, Song Tao, the head of the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, said.
"In May, President Putin will come to China to participate in a summit devoted to the Silk Road Belt, and in September he will participate in a regular meeting between the heads of the BRICS countries," he said during a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
"A whole number of meetings between the heads of the two states are expected," Song Tao said.
He said Medvedev also plans to pay an official visit to China.
Song Tao also congratulated Medvedev on being re-elected to the post of United Russia chairman and gave him words of welcome from Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese State Council Premier Li Keqiang.
Song Tao mentioned the Chinese president's words that Chinese-Russian relations "are the most important bilateral relations in the world, and also the best bilateral relations between powers."
No matter how the international situation changes, "China will firmly defend relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction with Russia," he said.
