Thaindian News

Beijing, Dec 12 (IANS) China has called for strengthening its ties with Russia and for further enhancing their bilateral strategic cooperative partnership.

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang Monday called for consolidation of the friendship between China and Russia and for the further growth of the bilateral all-round strategic cooperative partnership, Xinhua reported.

Li was addressing the ninth plenary meeting of the China-Russia Friendship Committee for Peace and Development (CRFCPD), scheduled for Tuesday in Beijing.

This year is the 10th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation.

Li hailed the sound momentum of bilateral ties under the guidance of the treaty, calling on joint efforts from both the countries to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and strategic coordination, to benefit the people of both sides and contribute to world peace, development and stability.

In June, during Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit to Russia, the two heads of state set goals for the development of bilateral relations in the next decade and ushered China-Russia ties into a new stage of development, Li said.

The CRFCPD has served as a major channel for people-to-people exchanges between China and Russia, said Li.

He called on the committee to consolidate the social foundation and public opinion base for China-Russia friendship, and initiate a new phase for bilateral people-to-people exchanges.

Li suggested the committee further boost the China-Russia all-round strategic cooperative partnership and give priority to enhancing bilateral ties no matter how the domestic and global situations change.