China`s Zhu Rongji to Visit Russia…to Discuss Expansion of Economic Cooperation

China and Russia show off unprecedented friendly relationship.

Following the Chinese President Jiang Zhemin`s visit to Russia in July, China`s Premier Zhu Rongji is also visiting Russia for five days which began yesterday. Since the Premier Zhu`s visit to Russia is focused on economic cooperation, the Russia-China relationship, which has centered around the politics, national security and the military cooperation, is expanded to the economic field.

Experts in the international relationships forecast that as China and Russia, which have cooperated in terms of strategy to compete with the U.S. that has risen to the highest power since the end of cold war, began to rapidly close to each other in various field including economics, they will wield more power in the international society.

Premier Zhu, who arrived in Russia with a 130 members of delegation, will hold a meeting with the Russian Premier Mikhail Kashiyanov today at the second largest city St. Peterburg, and will meet the Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday. Many ministerial level officials, such as Tang Jiashian minister of foreign affairs, Lee Rongrong chief of the national economy and trade committee and Se Kwangseng minister of the overseas trade and economy cooperation, are accompanying the Premier Zhu.

Cooperation in the field of energy and aerospace attracts the most attention. Russia and China plan to sign a document that examines the validity of the construction of oil pipelines amounting to $1.7 billion, which send oil, which is developed in the oil field of Irkutchk, Siberia, to the east region in China. The two countries made an agreement for this business when China`s President Jiang visited Russia in July.

If the oil pipelines are constructed by 2005, Russia`s oil exports to China will increase to $6 billion. The two countries plan to double the trade, which amounted $8 billion last year, within 3 years.

China will make a contract with Russia on the purchase of 5 Russian TU204 passenger airplanes ($160 million) within 2-3 years. Since China is considering purchasing 10 more passenger airplanes, the advance of the Russian passenger airplane into the Chinese market is likely to be expanded.

President Putin and President Jiang already met 6 times since the inauguration of President Putin in last May. Based on such a friendly relationship, the two countries take joint acts on the internationally sensitive issues, or support each other. The two countries` opposition to the U.S. Missile Defense system is the representative example. Russia refused to issue a visa requested by Dalai Lama, religious leader in Tibet, which is under the China`s rule, to go to Mongol. Russia also rejected Dalai Lama`s request that he wants to visit Russia through the invitation of Russian Buddhist circle.

China is consistently supporting Russia over the issue of Rusia`s invasion of Chechen, saying that `it is Russia`s domestic matter`.

kimkihy@donga.com