President Hu to visit Russia this year: FM

BEIJING - Chinese President Hu Jintao will pay a state visit to Russia this year at the invitation of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told a press conference Monday.

Yang said last year China-Russia relations achieved a lot of good results, and leaders of the two countries reached consensus on further deepening China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination.

"China-Russia relations have been lifted to a higher level," he said.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation, and the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination, according to Yang.

The two sides will seize the opportunities to further advance their strategic partnership of coordination, he said.

He said the two countries will work together to step up their cooperation on some key projects in such fields as economy and trade, high technology as well as their exchanges at the local level; to institutionalize the popular activities under the framework of National Year and Language Year between the two countries; and to step up their cooperation in regional and international organizations and enhance collaboration and coordination in addressing regional hot-spot issues.

Yang said that in a world China and Russia are good neighbors, friends and partners, trust and credibility form the foundation of all undertakings.

"This is a major conclusion we we have drawn from the growth of China-Russia relations. It is also an important guarantee for the sustained, coordinated and steady development of China-Russia ties," he said.

Yang made the remarks on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature.