China, Russia agree to strengthen cooperation in global arena

China and Russia today agreed to enhance strategic cooperation in international and regional affairs, including in blocs like BRIC, while inking a slew of agreements to boost trade, economic and energy ties, during President Dmitry Medvedev's visit here.

Medvedev, who arrived on a state visit to China yesterday with a message that bilateral ties were "sealed by blood" spilled fighting a common enemy during World War II, today signed a joint statement with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao to "comprehensively deepen their strategic partnership of coordination".

Medvedev said his talks with Hu have "injected new momentum" into bilateral ties and the two heads of state also issued a joint statement on the 65th anniversary of the War. 

The two presidents also hailed the completion of a long-awaited 999-kilometre cross-border oil pipeline linking the world's biggest oil producer with the largest energy consumer.

Some 927 kilometres of the pipeline is in China while 72 kilometres of it is in Russia. 

The pipeline starts in the Russian town of Skovorodino in the far-eastern Amur region and enters China at Mohe County before continuing to Daqing, a petrochemicals hub in the northeastern part of the country. 

The erstwhile Soviet Union was a source of inspiration for Chinese leader Mao Zedong, who initiated a similar socialist revolution in China and later chalked out his own form of Marxian ideology which came to be known as Maoism. 

China also came out of the Soviet bloc and extended its sphere of influence in the region cultivating allies like Pakistan, while Moscow remained steadfast with India. 

"China and Russia will maintain international peace and stability and promote the overall recovery, health and stable development of the world economy," Hu said at a joint press conference with Medvedev after their meeting. 

The statement lays down that Russia and China will coordinate closely under the frameworks of G20, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and as BRIC countries (China, India, Russia and Brazil). 

Medvedev said Russia will continue to strategically cooperate with China to adapt to evolving global situation. 

Russian officials had said ahead of the visit that Russia-India-China (RIC) grouping too would figure in talks.

But there was no mention of it in the official reports put out by the Chinese state run news agency Xinhua about the meetings between the two Presidents and the agreements signed.

The two sides also signed an agreement on the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism along with commercial deals covering coal, nuclear energy and banking.