Special report: Year of Russia in China 2006

    BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Activities of the Year of Russia in China in the first half of this year have achieved "initial results" and injected "new vigor" into Sino-Russian friendship and cooperation, said China's Assistant Foreign Minister Li Hui.

    Li, also secretary general of the Chinese organizing committee of the Year of Russia and the Year of China, said in an interview with Xinhua that such activities have yielded "remarkable effect" and "extensive influence".

    The Year of Russia in China started on January 1 this year as Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Vladimir Putin made the announcement in the exchange of their new year's greetings.

    Chinese statistics show that nearly 80 of the total 207 activities, covering almost every field of bilateral exchanges and cooperation, have been held in China so far including most of the eight large-scale ones at the national level.

    Working groups of the Chinese organizing committee, concerning political, economic and trade, education, health, sports, media, science, technology and military fields, have also conducted activities in various forms and in different places in China.

    It is worth mentioning that Putin paid a state visit to China in March, during which the two heads of state addressed the opening ceremonies of the Year of Russia and a high-level bilateral economic forum.

    During the visit, the two sides also signed a joint statement and more than 20 cooperative documents covering a wide range of areas.

    Media reports of both countries spoke highly of the fruitful visit, saying the result of this visit demonstrated the high level of Sino-Russian strategic and cooperative partnership and laid a sound political foundation for furthering bilateral cooperation.

    Over 800 government officials, experts, scholars and business people from the two countries also gathered in Beijing during the visit at the economic forum to discuss how to raise bilateral trade volume to 60-80 billion U.S. dollars by 2010 from 29.1 billion dollars last year.

    Meanwhile, a series of cultural activities such as the Russian cultural festival, Moscow Week in China's capital city Beijing and St. Petersburg Week in China's business hub Shanghai entertained the Chinese people with the rich Russian culture.

    These activities have played an "important role" in promoting mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples, expanding bilateral substantial cooperation, and enhancing bilateral strategic and cooperative partnership, according to Li.

    Jiang Yi, a scholar with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said such activities have helped bring the two peoples closer and enhanced their mutual understanding.

    It is learned that there will be more colorful activities in the latter half of this year including the 40-day China-Russia friendship trip by journalists from Beijing to Moscow, bilateral legislative round-table meeting, functions marking the 57th anniversary of the establishment of Sino-Russian diplomatic ties, a series of exhibitions about the various sides of Russia, investment promotion week, and closing ceremony of the Year of Russia.

    Li said he is convinced that all activities will be "smoothly and successfully completed with the concerted efforts of both sides".

    He disclosed that the two sides have started preparation for the Year of China in Russia scheduled for 2007. Enditem