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10/12/11 (AEIN) Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin held talks with Premier Wen Jiabao on Tuesday as part of his visit to neighboring China. The Russian leader will meet President Hu Jintao and other high-ranking government officials on Wednesday, according to a Chinese state radio broadcast in the morning.
Putin and Jiabao signed important contracts and agreements on energy pricing and other trade. The two countries intend to expand their cooperation in various fields, including environmental protection, agriculture, power generation and coal mining. The Voice of Russia reported early on Wednesday that both leaders had praised the benefits of using Chinese and Russian currencies in cross-border trade.
Trade between China and Russia continues to rapidly increase, with Russian energy exports expected to surge. Although relations were sometimes poor under the Soviet Union and didn't improve greatly during Yeltsin's rule, Russia-China ties have made substantial progress since Putin took office.