Putin to meet senior Chinese official in Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet a close aide to Chinese President Xi Jinping today.

The meeting is with Li Zhanshu, head of the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. It underlines Russia's increased effort to establish closer ties with China, as both countries are seeking to strengthen bilateral relations.

Last year, China signed a multi-year gas supply deal with Russia's gas monopoly Gazprom, estimated at 400 billion US dollars.