MOSCOW, March 21 (Xinhua) -- A senior Chinese tourism official hailed the launch of "Night of China Tourism" in Moscow on Tuesday night, calling it "a great feast" in the tourism exchanges between China and Russia.

    "'Night of China Tourism' highlights the exchanges of tourism between Russia and China," Shao Qiwei, director of China's National Tourism Administration, told Xinhua.

    The outgoing Tuesday night was only one of a series of tourism-promotion activities planned for this year in Russia, with an aim of raising the tourism cooperation of mutual benefit to a higher level, the director said, adding that it's also an important event in the Year of China in Russia.

    As a response to the launch of the Year of Russia in 2006 in Beijing, Moscow kicked off the Year of China recently to further promote bilateral ties and tourism cooperation.

    "Bilateral tourism has entered its best period of cooperation in recent years ... Russia is the country which provides the third largest number of visitors to China, and the number of Chinese visitors to Russia is also growing," he said.

    The rapid development of a strategic partnership of coordination between the two countries lays a sound foundation for tourism exchanges, the enlarged trade cooperation infuses fresh dynamism into tourism cooperation and the improved transportation brings much convenience to such cooperation, Shao said.

    Le Yucheng, the Chinese minister to Russia, who attended the launching ceremony, said Russian culture and art are popular in China, and Russians are getting to know more about China.

    Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, director of the Russian Federal Tourism Bureau, echoed the two Chinese officials, saying both sides are confident in further promoting the cooperation.

    The "Year of China" activities will boost the development of tourism for both countries, Strzhalkovsky said.