Putin in China to secure gas pact

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting with Russian writers at Pushkin Fine Arts Museum in Moscow, October 7, 2009. [Agencies]

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrives in China Monday bidding to strengthen a relationship forged by Russian oil exports to the world's largest developing economy.

Russia, which this year sealed Chinese oil contracts valued at $100 billion, is now negotiating an agreement that would make its neighbor OAO Gazprom's biggest customer for natural gas. China currently buys no Russian gas.

The two countries are deepening ties based on mutual economic gain. Bilateral trade totaled a record $56 billion in 2008, a six-fold increase in six years, according to Russia's Federal Customs Service.

"Political ties are very good," said Fyodor Lukyanov, the editor of Moscow-based Russia in Global Affairs magazine. "There's never been such closeness in position on major international issues, and there are no more territorial disputes."

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