MOSCOW, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Four economic events in the national level are scheduled in the Year of China in Russia, Yu Guangzhou, Vice Minister of Commerce, told a news conference in Moscow on Friday.

    "The four events include the Chinese National Exhibition, the Chinese delegation's participation in the 11th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June and activities related to the Year of China in Russia, the second China-Russia Economic and Trade Summit Forum and the fourth China-Russia Investment Promotion Conference at the closure of the Year of China in Russia," Yu said.

    Moreover, 27 special events will be held, including areas of economic and trade, energy, transportation, finance, information technology, post, agriculture, quality inspection, environmental protection, local cooperation, and etc, Yu said.

    "Participating in these activities will acquaint Russians better with a reform-and-opening-up China. Those activities on the other hand provide a platform for the cooperation of enterprises from the two countries," Yu said.

    According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, China and Russia are expected to sign a series of agreements and contracts worth more than 4.3 billion U.S. dollars during Chinese President Hu Jintao's coming visit to Russia scheduled for March 26 to 28.

    President Hu and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will attend the opening ceremony of the Year of China in Russia and that of the China national exhibition, which will be the biggest ever such exhibition sponsored by China in a foreign country, Assistant Foreign Minister Li Hui said in Beijing on Wednesday.

    Yu Guangzhou also called for energy and forestry cooperation between China and Russia in the news conference.

    Energy cooperation plays a key role in bilateral cooperation, and the forestry of the two countries can compensate for each other, Yu said.

    "As an important oil and gas exporter, Russia, with its abundant energy reserves, has a broad prospect of cooperation with China, a large energy importer and consumer in the world," he said.

    "Most of China's timber is imported from Russia and most of Russia's timber is exported to China." Therefore, China will encourage more enterprises to invest in Russia, Yu said.