Beijing, Moscow to sign deal to increase hi-tech exports

Beijing and Moscow will sign an agreement to increase Russian hi-tech exports during Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's visit to China, Kommersant business daily quoted Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov as saying on Monday. Zhukov said that the memorandum which Putin planned to sign during his visit on October 11-12 "covered innovation cooperation in industry, nanotechnologies, space research, biotechnologies, information industry and others." "All this must produce the effect of increasing the share of hi-tech machines in Russian exports to China," Zhukov said. The two sides plan to sign deals on 20 projects worth $7 billion, he added.