Vladimir V. Putin
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Vladimir V. Putin Putin
President Vladimir V. Putin kicked off the "Year of Russia in China" celebration on Tuesday by bringing an entourage of 1,000 people to Beijing, including the executives of top Russian oil and natural gas companies. Mr. Putin said in an interview before leaving Moscow that cooperation in the energy sphere is one of the most important elements of Russian-Chinese trade and economic relations. On Tuesday, Mr. Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, discussed a possible spur line off this future pipe leading directly to China and they agreed to a feasibility study.