Putin Arrives in Beijing to Bolster Ties

Russian President Vladimir V. Putin arrived in Beijing on Monday for a summit with his Chinese counterpart during which the two leaders are expected to reaffirm their opposition to Washington’s plans for a missile defense shield.

The visit is Putin’s first stop on an Asian tour intended to reassert Russia’s global clout ahead of a meeting of the Group of 8 industrialized powers on the Japanese island of Okinawa.

Putin and Chinese President Jiang Zemin were to sign a statement condemning the proposed U.S. limited national missile defense, which would require modifying the 1972 Antiballistic Missile Treaty.

The two leaders also were expected to take further steps to bolster relations between the former rivals. They plan to sign agreements on energy cooperation, including a feasibility study for a gas pipeline from Russia into China. Bilateral agreements on education and banking also are on the agenda for the visit, which ends today.

Putin’s plane, accented in the red, white and blue of the Russian flag, landed at Beijing’s Capital Airport shortly after 11:30 p.m. Monday. The Russian president descended a red carpet and was greeted by Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Yang Wenchang and diplomats from the two sides before leaving in a motorcade of limousines and buses. Putin made no statement to the media.

Putin was to be formally welcomed by Jiang at a military ceremony near Tiananmen Square today, followed by the talks.

Putin is expected to use his visits to Beijing and Pyongyang, North Korea, to once again register Russia’s deep concern over the U.S. proposal to modify the ABM treaty to allow construction of a limited national missile defense.

After decades of tension that followed a falling-out in the late 1950s, relations between Moscow and Beijing have been steadily improving since the late 1980s.