BEIJING, March 21 (Xinhua) -- More than 10,000 Chinese students are now studying in Russia, said an official with the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

    Li Hui, Chinese assistant foreign minister, made the remarks during a briefing on Chinese President Hu Jintao's upcoming state visit to Russia from March 26 to 28.

    Li said China and Russia had kept increasing cooperation in the fields of culture and education through organizing cultural activities, seminars and student exchange visits.

    The current number of Chinese students studying in Russia has exceeded the total number of students that studied in the former Soviet Union from 1949 to the mid-1950s when the two countries enjoyed close ties.

    The cultural and educational cooperation between China and Russia constitutes a very important part of the overall bilateral cooperation, Li said, adding that there would be a lot of culturaland educational activities held in the "Year of China" in Russia in 2007.