Putin, Hu meet in Vladivostok

Presidents Hu Jintao of China and Vladimir Putin of Russia promised increased economic cooperation during a meeting in Vladivostok. The meeting was the third between the two leaders since Putin returned to the Russian presidency in May, Xinhua, the official Chinese news agency, said. It occurred during a meeting of the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. Their discussions included economic cooperation and plans to increase bi-lateral trade to $100 billion a year from $83 billion by 2015, Putin said. Hu said Russia and China will also work together at the United Nations, suggesting their role is to ensure the international organization fulfills the mission laid out in its charter. Both Russia and China have used their Security Council vetos to block concerted action on Syria.