Chinese students are greeted by Russian students during a visit at a winter camp in Russia on February 4. (Photo: Qu Haiqi from People.cn)

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pledged to cement friendship and boost cooperation with Russia on Tuesday when asked about whether the complex international situation would present challenges to Sino-Russian relations.

Youth exchanges are regarded as highlights of their ever-lasting friendship.

“We want to carry forward the vision of ever-lasting friendship, turn our strong political relations into more fruitful and practical cooperation and add new substance to the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership,” Wang said at a press conference on the sidelines of the fourth session of the 12th National People’s Congress.

Wang’s words also came as 2016 marks the 15th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty on Good-neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation.

Youth is regarded as the cornerstone of friendship in Chinese philosophy. Making exchange between young people is a crucial part to furthering cultural understanding between the two neighbors.

Late Chinese leader Mao Zedong, when meeting with young people in Moscow during the 1950s, described the young men as the “morning sun”, saying that they represent the future of the world.

In a bid to facilitate cultural exchanges and mutual understanding between young people, China and Russia initiated a series of state-level events involving language learning, media exchange, tourism and other subjects.

The two sides held youth friendship exchanges in 2014 and 2015, during which nearly 800 celebrations were hosted across both countries, covering education, cultural, sports, media, technology and other various fields.

The events saw millions of participants. For instance, over 100 million people in Russia so far have watched China Maker, the widely-acclaimed installment of the Chinese film series Hello, China.

This January, a delegation of 99 middle school students from Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province, on invitation from Russian government, visited Krasnodar in Southern Russia for a winter camp activity.

The Russian side arranged diverse recreational and sports activities to showcase its culture to Chinese students, who also got a chance to visit the Sochi Winter Olympics stadium. Within only 10 days, the Russian and Chinese students forged deep friendships.

Moreover, it has become a tradition for both Chinese and Russian state officials to meet with young people during their visits.

When Russian President Vladimir Putin visited China, he was so impressed by a young monk’s kung fu demonstration that the leader carried him on his shoulders.