Medvedev arrives in China to attend SCO prime ministers’ meeting

ZHENGZHOU, December 14. /TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev arrived on Monday in east-central China’s Zhengzhou city embarking on his four-day official visit to the country. During the visit, Medvedev plans to attend a meeting of the Council of the Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and hold the 20th regular meeting of the Russian and Chinese heads of government. The SCO comprises Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Later on Monday, Medvedev will hold a range of bilateral meetings in Zhengzhou, including with Afghanistan’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah. He is also due to attend a photo exhibition together with the SCO heads of government devoted to cooperation of the Henan province with countries part of the group. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is scheduled to give an official reception later in the day. On Tuesday, Medvedev is due to take part in the meeting of the SCO heads of government both in a narrow and broader format (with participation of heads of delegations from countries-observers of the SCO). The meeting will focus on the development of the trade and economic, and humanitarian cooperation as part of the SCO amid the current state of affairs in global politics and economy. On Tuesday evening, Medvedev will go to Wuzhen of Zhejiang province in eastern China, where he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The next day, a joint meeting of the SCO heads of government with Xi Jinping will be held. The Russian premier together with the Chinese leader will later take part in the second world conference on the Internet governance and will address the participants of this forum. On the same day, the Russian premier will meet with the heads of the Russian and Chinese IT companies. Late on December 16, Medvedev will fly to Beijing to hold a meeting with Zhang Dejiang, who chairs the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (national legislature) and have a dinner with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. On the last day of his stay in China, Medvedev will attend a wreath laying ceremony at the Monument to the People’s Heroes in Beijing. Medvedev will then talk again with Li Keqiang and hold the 20th regular meeting of the Russian and Chinese heads of government. A number of documents will be signed after this meeting. Medvedev will later visit the National Museum of China and address a ceremony of closing the Russian-Chinese youth friendship exchange years (2014-2015) and opening of Years the Russian-Chinese Mass Media (2016-2017). Read more