President Hu Jintao said Sino-Russian relations have entered a new phase amid closer cooperation in various fields.  

Hu made the remark last week in a joint interview from Russia's Itar-Tass News Agency and Channel One TV station on the eve of his Russia visit starting on Thursday.

Hu answered questions concerning the China-Russia strategic partnership, bilateral economic and trade cooperation, key international issues and the development of China's reform and opening-up.

Describing China and Russia as friendly neighbors, Hu said under joint efforts the two countries have established strategic partnership and signed a Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation.

The two sides have deepened political trust and enhanced cooperation in such fields as trade and economy, science and technology, culture and military affairs, said Hu.

The two countries have also supported each other on issues concerning national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and conducted effective cooperation on major international and regional issues, he said.

The two countries should deepen political trust, strengthen strategic cooperation and promote the establishment of a just and reasonable international political and economic order to safeguard world peace and stability, Hu said.

Hu said the two countries should promote pragmatic cooperation in trade, energy, science and technology, and military affairs to enrich the China-Russia strategic partnership.

Hu also called for cultural exchanges between the two countries, noting that they should expand non-governmental exchanges and keep consolidating the social basis of bilateral friendship.

Hu spoke highly of the Russia Year in China and the China Year in Russia to be held in 2006 and 2007 respectively, which was decided in a joint statement during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to China last year.

The activities cover such fields as politics, economy, culture, education, science and technology and non-governmental exchanges and are significant for deepening traditional friendship and boosting mutually beneficial cooperation, said Hu.

China attaches great importance to the activities, which are expected to help increase understanding and friendship between the two peoples, especially young people of the two countries.

Hu vows to boost China-Russia trade to US$60-80b by 2010

Hu vowed to boost China-Russia trade to US$60-80 billion by 2010.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Commerce, bilateral trade reached US$21 billion at the end of last year.

To achieve such a goal, Hu proposed the two sides make concerted efforts in five aspects:

Firstly, Hu said, China and Russia should optimize current bilateral trade structure and offer bigger market access for marketable products from their countries, especially for mechanical, electrical and high-tech products.

China and Russia should endeavor to achieve a successful transfer of growth mode for bilateral trade and take effective measures to safeguard the trade order to create favorable conditions for the healthy development of bilateral trade, Hu said.

Secondly, China and Russia should expand cooperation with mutual benefit in the energy sector and fully implement the agreements reached between the two nations in the sector and launch relevant cooperative projects as soon as possible, Hu said.

Thirdly, Hu called on promoting cooperation in the high technology field between China and Russia and accelerating the implementation process of high-tech industrialized cooperative projects to improve the quality and level of the cooperation.

The exchange of technological personnel should also be further promoted to help improve the industrial structure and technological innovation both in China and Russia, Hu said.

Fourthly, the two sides should also expand cooperation in investment and encourage Chinese and Russian enterprises to invest in the infrastructure, resource exploration and processing fields, Hu said, noting that investment environment should be further improved and the legal interests of investors better protected in both countries.

Finally, Hu also proposed to expand trade cooperation along the border areas between China and Russia, saying that relevant Chinese regions will strengthen trade cooperation with Russia's Far East and Siberia regions.

China welcomes Russia to play an active role in the development scheme to revitalize China's northeast old industrial bases and western region, Hu added.

China and Russia share strong complementarity in their economies and have huge potential to develop bilateral trade relations, Hu said, expressing the belief that China and Russia will definitely score more accomplishments in trade cooperation based on mutual trust and pragmatic and win-win principles.

China to adhere to reforms for socialist market economy

Hu said that China will adhere to reforms for a socialist market-oriented economy and continue to deepen reforms in its economic, political, cultural and social management systems, noting that systematic innovation will be further encouraged in China.

He said China will remain a developing country for quite a longtime and to achieve the goal of building a well-off society in an all-round way still needs long-term hard work.

China will pursue economic and social development by the scientific concept of development to fulfill the increasing needs of Chinese people and push forward the all-round development of economic, political, cultural and harmonious society building, Hu said.

To promote such development, Hu said China will focus on the reforms of the rural taxation system, state-owned enterprises, fiscal and financial systems, education, science and technological and administration systems. He expressed the hope to further inspire the creativity of Chinese society and boost up the inner vitality of the country's economic and social development.

Hu also answered questions about the 60th anniversary of the victory over the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and other international and regional issues.

(Xinhua News Agency June 30, 2005)