BEIJING, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan met here Wednesday with Nikolai Ryzhkov and Vladimir Gusev, both members of the Federation Council of Russia, the upper house of Russian parliament, and Mikhail Titarenko, director of the Far East Institute at the Russian Academy of Sciences.

    Tang said he hoped the two countries will take Chinese President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to Russia and the holding of the "Year of China" in Russia and of the "Year of Russia" in China as good opportunities to promote substantial cooperation, strengthen coordination in international affairs and upgrade the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination.

    Ryzhkov appreciated China's economic and social achievements, saying China has found a development pattern that accords with its own characteristics.

    Russian people are looking forward to President Hu's visit and the opening of the "Year of China" in Russia, said Ryzhkov, adding he believed that the friendly ties between the two countries will be further developed.

    The Russian guests came to China at the invitation of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs.

    After the launch of the "Year of Russia" in 2006 in Beijing, the "Year of China" in Russia will open in late March in Moscow during President Hu's visit to Russia scheduled from March 26 to 28. Hu and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will attend the opening ceremony.