Putin snubs Chinese leader

Vladimir Putin has refused to host a top Chinese official tipped to become China’s next prime minister due to his busy agenda ahead of polls, putting a strain on bilateral ties, a newspaper said on Wednesday.

Vladimir Putin has refused to host a top Chinese official tipped to become China’s next prime minister due to his busy agenda ahead of polls, putting a strain on bilateral ties, a newspaper said on Wednesday.

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Kommersant broadsheet, citing sources in the Russian-Chinese inter-governmental commission, Russian foreign ministry and the government, said that vice-Premier Li Keqiang tagged to become China’s next prime minister, had wanted this month to visit Russia to meet Putin and outgoing president Dmitry Medvedev.

“There’s so much fuss over these elections, there’s no time for him,” the newspaper quoted a government source as saying.