The drills come about two months after Russia's President Vladimir Putin visited China.

Talks will cover bilateral projects since last year's retreat and the impact of the Middle East crisis.

Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri was detained with 17 other church leaders in October in one of China’s largest crackdowns on a single church in decades. 

The surfers from Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh are hoping to carve out a place for the sport in a country obsessed with cricket and football.

Referring to his recent state visit to Pyongyang, Chinese President Xi Jinping thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for the "enthusiastic and friendly" hospitality during the trip.