Chinese Vice Premier Visits St. PetersburgThe Chinese government attaches great importance to strengthening direct exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Russian localities, visiting Chinese Vice Premier Li Lanqing said December 8 in St. Petersburg.Li made the remarks at a meeting with St. Petersburg Mayor Vladimir Yakovlev Thursday after he arrived from Moscow. He hoped the two sides make more effective efforts to deepen the friendship between the two peoples and the overall relations between the two countries in the new century. St. Petersburg, as one of Russia's economic, cultural and scientific research centers, has played an important role in promoting Sino-Russian relations through its fruitful cooperation with its sister city Shanghai and other Chinese cities in recent years, he said. Yakovlev told his Chinese guest that Russia values its relations with China and deems China an important economic and trading partner. He hoped the cooperation between St. Petersburg and Shanghai as well as other Chinese cities will be consolidated to make further contributions to the Russia-China cooperation. Li, who arrived in Moscow Sunday on a 10-day official visit to Russia, will also visit Nizhniy Novgorod and Samara. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |