Chinese president Hu Jintao is now holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Great Hall of the People.

The two leaders are discussing regional and international issues of common concern, as well as the development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Energy, trade, investment and industrial cooperation are also high on the agenda.

Economic issues are set to figure prominently on Putin's trip to China. China is Russia's largest trading partner, whereas Russia is China's fastest growing one. The two sides have set a goal to reach 200 billion US dollars in bilateral trade by 2020, a substantial increase from the current volume of nearly 80 billion dollars.

Inter-bank cooperation is also expected to be strengthened. The two sides hope to deepen cooperation in oil, natural gas, electric power, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy.