Russia-China bilateral trade could soon reach $200B: Putin

Bilateral trade between Russia and China could soon hit $200 billion, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

“Our strategic partnership is developing … very successfully,” Putin said in a meeting with Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress, on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

“Trade turnover is growing. Last year it grew significantly, by 36%, and reached $140 billion. It continues growing, and in the first half of the year, it increased by another 30%. And, apparently, we will really soon reach, as we wanted, $200 billion in turnover.”

Putin said he expects to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, which will be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on Sept. 15-16.

Li, for his part, emphasized that relations between China and Russia have been booming under the leadership of Xi and Putin.