Kremlin: Putin to Hold Talks with Xi Jinping on the 20th

(Taipei, 19th, Central News Agency) According to media reports, Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in Beijing tonight for a visit. Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a welcome ceremony for Putin tomorrow, after which the two heads of state will hold talks to discuss the most important and sensitive issues in their bilateral relationship. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced earlier that at the invitation of Xi Jinping, President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to China from the 19th to the 20th. According to reports from Reuters and Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily, based on information released by the Kremlin, Putin will arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport on the evening of the 19th, where the Chinese side will hold a welcome ceremony. Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, will be there to greet him, after which Putin will proceed to the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Xi Jinping is expected to hold a welcome ceremony for Putin at the Great Hall of the People on the 20th, after which the two heads of state will hold talks to discuss the most important and sensitive issues in their bilateral relationship, followed by an expanded meeting. According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this is Putin's 25th visit to China, and the two leaders will exchange views on cooperation in various fields of the bilateral relationship as well as international and regional issues of common concern. (Edited by: Chou Hui-ying / Lu Chia-jung)