Putin's China Visit to Boost Energy, AI, High-Tech Cooperation - Chinese Expert

GELENDZHIK, May 13. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China will serve as a new impetus for expanding cooperation in the fields of energy, artificial intelligence, and high technology, Yang Cheng, Executive Dean of the Shanghai Academy of Global Governance and Area Studies at Shanghai International Studies University, told TASS. "As for practical cooperation in various sectors, including energy, high technology, and artificial intelligence, I think this [visit] will provide new momentum," he said on the sidelines of the 6th Central Asian Conference under the Valdai Discussion Club, which took place in Gelendzhik on May 12-13. The Chinese expert called Putin’s visit a "historic moment," as in 2026 Moscow and Beijing will mark the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the 30th anniversary of the signing of the declaration on the establishment of a comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation between the two countries. "Russia and China welcome a multipolar world. We want our neighbors in Central Asia and other regions to be stable and prosperous. Therefore, we expect progress in bilateral cooperation," he concluded. Earlier, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping had invited Putin to pay an official visit to China in the first half of 2026, and that the Russian leader had accepted the invitation. On May 12, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that preparations for Putin’s visit to China were in their final stages.