Estonian President Arnold Ruutel said in Tallinn on Tuesday he hoped his upcoming state visit to China will help promote the development of relations between the two countries.

Ruutel told visiting Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing that he was pleased to note that bilateral exchanges and cooperation in trade, science and technology, education and culture have been fruitful in recent years and also enjoy broad prospects.

Welcoming more Chinese businesses to invest in Estonia and more Chinese students to come to the country, Ruutel said he hoped his visit to China, scheduled for August 24-28, will help promote bilateral ties.

Li spoke highly of the China-Estonia relations and expressed his appreciation for Estonia's long-term one-China policy.

Political mutual trust between the two countries is growing steadily, bilateral trade is expanding rapidly and there are even greater potentials for further cooperation in various fields, said Li.

China is willing to work with Estonia to promote the all-round development of friendly relations of cooperation, Li said.

China is looking forward to Ruutel's visit and believes it will have a significant influence over the China-Estonia relations, he said.

Li arrived in Tallinn Tuesday for a two-day visit to Estonia, the first leg of his current European tour that will also take him to Lithuania, Latvia, Serbia and Montenegro, and Cyprus.

(Xinhua News Agency August 17, 2005)