Chinese, Russian presidents reach consensus

President Hu Jintao has met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin ahead of the annual Economic Leaders’ Meeting of the APEC in the Russian city of Vladivostok. The two leaders reached an important consensus on the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between their countries and on regional and international issues. Hu Jintao said they had set the principles and directions of bilateral relations and priorities for cooperation during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Beijing this year. He made four proposals. First, the two sides should deepen mutual strategic trust, increase political support and ensure the bilateral political relations develop to a higher level. Second, the two sides should strengthen cooperation in investment, high technology and innovation, promote cooperation on big strategic projects, and raise the scale and quality of economic and trade cooperation. Third, the two countries should negotiate actively within the framework of the China-Russia Neighbourly Friendly Cooperation Treaty and implement the objectives, principles and spirit of the treaty. Fourth, the two countries should build a cooperation mechanism of law enforcement and security to consolidate and develop friendly relations between the two militaries.