Russian President Vladimir Putin is beginning a three-day visit to China, with energy and foreign policy expected to dominate the agenda, BBC informs. Mr Putin said ahead of the trip that he wanted to further boost booming bilateral trade, which reached USD 84bn last year.The Syrian crisis is also expected to be discussed during the talks. Russia and China have resisted Western pressure to remove President Bashar al-Assad from power amid ongoing unrest. China’s envoy to the UN, Li Baodong, has described Syria as one of the most pressing issues on the agenda of the Security Council. Mr Putin was due to hold extensive talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday.The Russian leader is taking to Beijing six cabinet ministers, the head of gas giant Gazprom and other energy companies. Some 17 major business and trade deals between Russia and China are expected to be signed in Beijing, Mr Putin’s aides say.
