More than 30 participants at the first Sino-Russian strategic
forum, which opened in Beijing on Monday, said the countries'
strategic cooperative partnership has entered a "very important"
stage in its development.
The attendees, including Chinese and Russian government and
military officials and experts, also discussed the international
and East Asian situation, and called for enhanced mutual political
trust and coordination in international and regional affairs.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Yefimovich Fradkov will pay an
official visit to China from November 3 to 4 for the 10th
Sino-Russian Prime Ministers' Meeting with Premier Wen Jiabao. They
are expected to discuss how to step up bilateral cooperation in
politics, economics, trade, energy and technology.
Most experts at the forum said that since the two countries set
up a strategic partnership in 1996, they have made much progress in
strengthening mutual trust and expanding economic, military and
security cooperation.
Xiong Guangkai, chairman of the China Institute for
International Strategic Studies, said the development of a new type
relationship between China and Russia sets an example for other
countries.
Zheng Yu, a Chinese Academy of Social Sciences expert on Eastern
Europe and Central Asia affairs, said China and Russia keep close
coordination in regional and international affairs, deepen
cooperation in fighting against terrorism and boosting economy and
security within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization, and have played a positive role in settling the
Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.
How to further enhance trust and enrich the partnership in the
wake of a changing international situation is an important task for
the two countries, said A. D. Voskresensky, a Russian expert from
the International Affairs Institute in Moscow.
(Xinhua News Agency November 1, 2005)