Hu and Putin to ink trade deals, talk energy

Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Moscow Monday for a three-day visit that is expected to see the signing of trade deals worth up to US$4 billion, AFP reported. China's energy needs are likely to figure highly on the agenda in talks between Hu and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. "Energy is one of the most significant and promising areas of cooperation with China," one Russian official said. Russian media reported that the main agreement to be approved is for a railway development project that would increase the country's crude exports to China. Last year, Russia exported 15 million metric tons of oil to China, the majority of which traveled by rail. Hu is also expected to detail concerns about delays in the construction of a planned oil pipeline from the fields of Siberia to the Chinese oil hub of Daqing. In a joint statement, Hu and Putin called on Iran to comply with UN Security Council over its disputed nuclear program, according to AP.