BEIJING, April 15 -- China is willing to further strengthen cooperation with Russia and maintain the development of bilateral ties at a high level, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Hua Chunying told a regular press briefing that the two nations' relations have entered a new phase of development of strategic importance.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is visiting China and met with his counterpart Wang Yi, Hua said.

Lavrov is here to discuss preparations for Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Beijing in May and the president's attendance of the summit of Confidence Building Measures in Asia.

Hua said the two sides have discussed the arrangement of Putin's trip and explored new methods of providing more support for each other's country regarding national core interests and maintaining coordination on significant international issues.