Russia sought to strengthen ties with China on Tuesday as Vladimir Putin, prime minister, signed off on $3.5bn (€2.4bn, £2.2bn) worth of deals during talks with Wen Jiabao, the Chinese premier, in Beijing.
But both sides failed to make substantial progress on a key deal for Russian gas supplies to China, signing only a preliminary agreement that left unanswered questions on price and the source of supplies.
