Russia's President Putin arrives in China for state visit

[Jesus Malverde]

Source: BBC

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.


Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-27481454

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[Jesus Malverde]

1. Focus on Russia-China gas deal as Putin visits Shanghai

Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes to sign a multi-billion dollar gas agreement with China during a two-day visit that kicks off on Tuesday, ending more than a decade of false starts and wrangling over a deal seen as vital to both sides.

But on Monday, sources close to the company and in the gas industry said it wanted China to pay $25 billion now to secure future gas supplies, whereas China had so far been reticent, concerned that other suppliers would seek similar deals.

"We are pinning our hopes on Putin's May visit," a source at Gazprom said.

For its part, Beijing has been pushing to secure equity stakes in gas fields in eastern Siberia, which would be the main source of supply.

The agreement that could be signed is a 30-year contract for Gazprom to supply China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) with 38 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas per year.

Should the deal be finalized this week, construction of a new pipeline is expected to begin by the end of 2014 and start delivering gas by 2018.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/19/us-china-russia-idUSBREA4I0LR20140519

[dipsydoodle]

2. Russia Pursuing $400B Deal Supplying Gas to China

Bloomberg video here : http://www.bloomberg.com/video/russia-pursuing-400b-deal-supplying-gas-to-china-jVbucpd6T4aScC83f5sV4w.html

Figure in excess of US$trillion is mentioned elsewhere.

[uhnope]

3. Meeting to gloat Tibet and Crimea

[bemildred]

4. Putin wins China's support on Ukraine but fails to close $400 billion gas deal

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Despite disappointment so far over an energy deal seen as vital to both countries' long-term economic interests, Putin did receive a rare nod of support from Chinese President Xi Jinping over the Ukraine crisis.

In a statement issued after the two leaders met, Russia and China called for the de-escalation of tensions in Ukraine and for "peaceful, political ways to resolve existing problems." The countries also referred to the crisis as "domestic."

Across much of the rest of the world, Putin stands accused of fomenting pro-Russian sentiment in neighboring Ukraine, which has already lost the peninsula of Crimea after it was annexed by Moscow.

In more recent conciliatory steps, Putin ordered Russian forces massed on the Ukraine border to return to bases and welcomed what the Kremlin called initial contacts between the Ukraine government and those calling for more power for largely Russian-speaking regions in the east.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/russia/140520/putin-china-russia-gas-deal

[go west young man]

6. Russia's version....it doesn't include use of the term 'fails"

http://rt.com/news/160128-russia-china-sanctions-rhetoric/

Excerpt:

Moscow and Beijing have rejected the imposition of sanctions as political tools and condemned attempts at “encouraging and financing” regime changes in other countries in a joint statement released during President Putin’s official visit to China.

Having faced economic sanctions and threats of more of to come from the West, Russia has turned to the East, seeking to boost business ties in a friendlier environment. An impressive package of deals on energy, business and infrastructure has already been signed in Shanghai.

More is yet to come, judging by the title of the joint statement by Beijing and Moscow, which promises “a new stage in full-scale partnership and strategic relations.”

Boosting mutual trade is not all there is to that “new stage,” as following the meeting with Xi, the Russian president shared expectations of closer cooperation between the countries in international politics.

“We have common priorities on a global and on a regional scale,” Putin said. “We’ve agreed upon closer coordination of our foreign policy steps, including those in the UN, BRICS and APEC,” he added.

Among attitudes Russia and China share is their mutual dislike of economic restrictions imposed for political reasons.

“The parties stress the necessity to… reject unilateral sanctions rhetoric,” the joint statement reads.

Economic restrictions applied as punishment are no better than financial aid to forces that seek “a change in constitutional system of another country,” the Russian-Chinese statement says.

[bemildred]

7. You always have to account for the biases of your sources, right? nt

[go west young man]

8. You sure do.....

and western media has proved it's bias a thousand times over in this crisis.

[bemildred]

5. Russia Begins Troop Withdrawal from Ukraine Border

(MOSCOW) -- It looks like Russia may finally be pulling back its troops from the Ukrainian border.

Russia's Defense Ministry says its troops on the Ukrainian border are packing up and heading home. President Vladimir Putin gave the order on Monday, but the U.S. and its allies are skeptical. After all, the last two times Russia claimed to pull them back, there was no sign of troop movements.

This time, however, Putin's order may be for real. Ukraine has reportedly confirmed the troops have pulled back at least a few miles.

In an interview Tuesday, Russia's deputy defense minister told BBC News that the process has already begun and added the withdrawal will be complete in a few days.

http://abcnewsradioonline.com/world-news/russia-begins-troop-withdrawal-from-ukraine-border.html