Putin in China to discuss Syria and energy

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in China for a three-day visit aimed at bolstering crucial ties between the powerful Eurasian neighbours who have aligned to block tougher international action against Syria.

Putin said ahead of the trip that he also wanted to further boost booming bilateral trade, which reached $84bn last year.

Russia and China have resisted Western pressure to remove Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power amid ongoing unrest.

China's envoy to the UN, Li Baodong, has described Syria as one of the most pressing issues on the agenda of the Security Council.

Beijing currently holds the council's rotating presidency, and Li urged all parties to immediately implement the peace plan of UN envoy Kofi Annan.

Syria's rebel Free Syrian Army said on Monday it was no longer committed to the nominal ceasefire.

Spokesman Sami al-Kurdi told Reuters news agency the FSA had begun attacking soldiers to "defend our people".

Both energy and foreign policy co-operation were high on the agenda for the visit beginning on Tuesday, with Putin also participating in a regional security summit on Wednesday and Thursday where he will separately meet the presidents of Iran and Afghanistan.

Putin will hold extensive talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao later on Tuesday.

The Russian leader is taking to Beijing six cabinet ministers, the head of gas giant Gazprom and other energy companies.

Some 17 major business and trade deals between Russia and China are expected to be signed in Beijing, Putin's aides say.

But it remains unclear whether this will include a long-awaited gas agreement that would allow Moscow to supply some 70 billion cubic metres of gas to its neighbour.

Latest reports suggest that pricing disagreements remain between Russia, the world's biggest energy producer, and China, the largest consumer of energy.

On the eve of the visit, Putin told China's state media that he wanted to increase bilateral trade to $100 billion in 2015 and $200 billion by 2020.

He said the target could be achieved "ahead of schedule".

On Wednesday, Putin will meet Vice-Premier Li Keqiang, who is tipped to be the next premier, and Xi Jinping, who is expected to become next president after a stage-managed leadership change later this year.

While in China, Putin will also attend a regional security summit on Thursday.