China, Russian ties ‘sealed by blood’ -Medvedev

CHINA: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in northeast China for an official visit Sunday saying that Moscow’s ties with Beijing were “sealed by blood” spilled fighting a common enemy.

Medvedev kicked off a three-day visit to the world’s second biggest economy by visiting the former Russian city of Dalian and paying respects to fallen Russian soldiers who died defending the port from Japanese invaders.

“Friendship with China is Russia’s strategic choice, it’s a choice that was sealed by blood years ago,” Medvedev told Russian and Chinese war veterans.

“The friendship between Russian and Chinese peoples cemented by the military events will be indestructible and do good for our future generations.

“For Russia and China the memory of those events is sacred.”

Accompanied by top energy officials and business tycoons, Medvedev is slated to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing on Monday and oversee the signing of a raft of agreements including energy deals.

Russia is keen to diversify its energy supplies and has been in talks with China, the world’s largest energy consumer, over gas deliveries.

Dalian, Sunday, AFP