MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will visit China over the next two days, and is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese State Council Premier Li Qiang, the Russian government said in a press release.

"On December 19-20, 2023, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will visit China under an agreement with the Chinese side," the statement said.

The head of the Russian cabinet will take part in the 28th regular meeting of the heads of government of Russia and China in Beijing. "Mikhail Mishustin will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and hold talks with Chinese State Council Premier Li Qiang," the press release said.

During the course of these high-level contacts, the sides plan to consider the development of comprehensive Russian-Chinese partnership relations and strategic cooperation, as well as practical cooperative, humanitarian and regional exchanges.

"Special attention will be paid to the expansion of trade and economic cooperation and the promotion of large-scale joint projects in various areas. The sides plan to adopt a joint communique and sign a number of Russian-Chinese bilateral documents," the Russian government said.

Multifaceted cooperation

The Russian government pointed out that cooperation with China "is developing steadily in all directions despite the difficult external economic situation." Mutual trade turnover is growing and will reach a new record by the end of 2023, exceeding the $200 bln mark for the first time.

More than 90% of all bilateral settlements are executed in the two countries’ respective national currencies: the ruble and the yuan.

Strategic cooperation in the energy sector is expanding with exports of Russian hydrocarbons to China on a growth trend. Russia has become the number one supplier of oil to the Chinese market, and holds second place as a supplier of coal and third place as a supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG), the Russian government stressed. Natural gas flows to China via the Power of Siberia pipeline are being systematically increased, the Far Eastern gas pipeline is being planned, and the terms for delivering gas supplies to China through Mongolia are being worked out.

Cooperation in the field of agriculture will be strengthened. Thus, agribusiness products have become the second largest Russian export to China after hydrocarbons, with the volume of agricultural deliveries in the first 10 months of 2023 increasing by 63% to $6.2 bln. Work is underway to expand mutual market access.

Humanitarian contacts, which suffered greatly during the COVID-19 pandemic, are being restored. The number of Russian students attending Chinese universities is growing; the number of mutual tourist trips is gradually increasing; and the dynamics of contacts in the fields of culture, tourism and exhibition activities, as well as in cinematography, are on the rise. As well, events under the Years of Russian-Chinese Cooperation in Physical Culture and Sports (2022-2023) program are being successfully carried out.

China plans to participate in the first Games of the Future international multisport tournament in Kazan in February-March 2024. Finally, preparations are underway to hold respective intercultural years of Russia and China in 2024-2025.