 Chinese President Hu Jintao paid a state visit to Russia from Mar. 26th, to Mar. 28th, 2007.
During the talks in the Kremlin on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Hu exchanged views on further development of the China-Russia strategic partnership of cooperation and discussed major international and regional issues.
In Moscow, President Hu and President Putin attended the opening ceremony of the "Year of China" in Russia, which is aimed at deepening the friendship, enhancing cooperation and promoting China-Russia strategic partnership of cooperation.
On Tuesday, Hu and Putin attended the inauguration ceremony of China National Exhibition, an important event of the "Year of China" and the biggest comprehensive show China has held outside the country in almost three decades.
Opening Ceremony of "Year of China"
Chinese President Hu and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin participated in the opening ceremony of the "Year of China" in Russia in the Kremlin Monday evening.
The two heads of state vowed to take the chance of the event to further promote the Sino-Russian strategic partnership of cooperation in all aspects.
Addressing the opening ceremony of this theme year, which is a reciprocal event of the "Year of Russia" in China last year, President Hu hailed the history and achievements of Russia and its people as well as the friendship between the two peoples.
President Hu spoke highly of the "Year of Russia" in China, during which over 300 events were presented to hundreds of thousands of Chinese people. While in this "Year of China", 200 events covering politics, economy, science and culture were held in Russia.
Besides showcasing its splendid culture and history, China also presented the fruits of its reform and opening-up policy in the theme year, which promotes the cooperation in various fields and strengthens the people-to-people contact in the two countries, so as to further revitalize the growth of Sino-Russian relations.
“China is ready to continue working with Russia to further implement the Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, deepen mutually-beneficial cooperation and strategic coordination, promote common development and contribute to the building of a harmonious world featuring lasting peace and common prosperity.” President Hu also pledged.
Economic cooperation
(1) Trade
Two-way trade between China and Russia has grown at a pace of over 30 percent every year from 1999 to 2005, jumping 15 percent in the last year, according to customs.
Trade between the countries is expected to remain on a fast track in the coming years. Officials and researchers expected bilateral trade between the two countries would double last year's figure to hit $60 billion to $80 billion in 2010.
Chinese and Russian enterprises signed 21 agreements and contracts worth 4.3 billion U.S. dollars after the opening ceremony of China's national exhibition here Tuesday, Mar. 27th.
(2) Investment
Compared to the fast-growing trade figures, growth in bilateral investment has been slow in recent years.
According to statistics from the commerce ministry, China had invested a total of $1 billion in over 700 projects in Russia by the end of last year. Russia also invested $70 million in China. Those projects involved energy and resources exploitation, timber processing, home appliance making, telecommunications and building materials.
(3) Energy
After talks, two leaders both agreed that bilateral energy cooperation saw sound development last year and would benefit both sides.
Russian president Putin suggested that the two countries boost investment and large-scale cooperation projects in the Far East and the Siberian regions.
(4) Joint Statement
After their talks, the two presidents signed a joint statement and witnessed the signing of nine cooperation agreements in railway, banking, telecommunications and other fields.
With the significantly increasing trade volume, the expanding scale of cooperation in investment, economy and technology, as well as more active regional and enterprise exchanges, opportunities have emerged for a rapid development of bilateral trade cooperation, the statement said.
The two sides will further improve the mechanism of regular prime ministers' meetings and make full of it to push forward the cooperation in various industrial sectors, especially in engineering, electricity and high-technology, said the statement.
According to the statement, Russia and China will also strengthen investment cooperation, encourage and protect mutual investment among enterprises, improve the quality and level of investment, and create a friendly environment for enterprise cooperation.
Both sides pay high attention to energy cooperation between the two countries. Fully acknowledging the achievements already made between the two sides in oil and gas cooperation, China and Russia promised to gradually implement more large-scale energy cooperation projects, support Chinese and Russian companies to make more oil, gas, and electricity cooperation deals, and to cement and develop comprehensive, long-term strategic cooperative relations in energy industry.
In the statement, the two sides also agreed to develop cooperation in other areas such as agriculture, medical treatment, machine building, aviation and automobile manufacturing, the promotion of scientific technologies, and many others.
Stands on the Iran's Nuclear Issue
On the stand-off over Iran's nuclear issue, "China and Russia stress that the Iranian nuclear problem should be solved exclusively through peaceful means and negotiations," the joint statement, issued on Mar. 26th, said.
The two countries "also urge Iran to take all necessary and constructive steps to carry out the appropriate resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and the IAEA," said the statement.
"(We) believe that Iran ... has the right to explore peaceful nuclear energy while adhering to all its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty," it added. (Source: chinadaily)
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