At the invitation of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing Monday evening for a 3-day official visit, the first official visit to China since he took office as prime minister last May.

During Putin's visit in China, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress Wu Bangguo will meet with him. Wen will hold talks with him.

Putin will also attend the 14th bilateral prime ministers' regular meeting and the eighth prime ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states.

The SCO groups China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Mongolia, India, Iran and Pakistan are observers of the regional organization.

(Xinhua News Agency October 12, 2009)