BBC Online :Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Shanghai ahead of a summit at which Russia and China are hoping to deepen ties.The two countries will make a “substantial” announcement and sign agreements, said Xinhua. They will also kick off a joint military exercise involving their navies.The summit comes as Russia and China face criticism over disputes in Ukraine and the South China Sea.The Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (Cica) has drawn delegations from nearly 40 countries and international organisations.United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is attending, as are the leaders from Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Cambodia. Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to make announcements on security in Asia at the summit.The visit marks Putin’s first trip to China since President Xi took office.In an interview with Chinese media before his arrival, Putin called China “Russia’s reliable friend” and said the two countries had reached a new stage in bilateral and military ties. “It would be no exaggeration if I said that the cooperation between our two countries is at its highest level in history,” the Russian leader said.China is Russia’s largest single trading partner, with bilateral trade flows of $90 billion in 2013, and the two neighbours aim to double the volume to $200 billion by the end of the decade, according to agencies.The BBC’s John Sudworth said that Russia is also looking to pursue an energy deal, which would see the country pumping gas to China. But China may want to drive a harder bargain given Russia’s current troubles in Europe.Russia has faced international condemnation for its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. Russia has also deployed troops near the border of Ukraine, sparking concerns about a possible invasion.For its part, China has attracted criticism for recent actions in the South China Sea.China’s refusal to move an oil rig stationed in waters claimed by Hanoi sparked an outbreak of protests across Vietnam last week, with demonstrators targeting Chinese workers and Chinese-owned factories.
