China and Russia are working to further their economic and trade cooperation through promoting energy cooperation.

"The two countries should figure out the big projects from the strategic height and long-term perspective, and the big enterprises should be involved," said Chinese top legislator Wu Bangguo in Beijing Tuesday.

Economic and trade cooperation with Russia has been China's priority in the bilateral ties, Wu said, adding that China hopes the projects agreed by the two countries would be implemented as soon as possible.

Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, made the remarks when he met with Viktor Ishayev, governor of the Khabarovsk Region of Russia, who is here attending the 37th International General Meeting of the Pacific Basin Economic Council.

Wu had visited Russia this May and the tour started from the Khabarovsk Region, where he met with Ishayev. During the meeting, Wu had put forward a three-point proposal to further the economic and trade cooperation between China and Russia.

The proposal included encouraging the involvement of the big enterprises, properly handling the problems existing in the trade contact, and strengthening the management of border posts to facilitate personnel exchanges and product transportation.

During Tuesday's meeting, Wu said he is "so happy" to see Ishayev again about a month later, hoping that he would visit China as much as possible.

Ishayev is heading a 27-member delegation to China to enhance the economic and trade cooperation, and the delegates come from the oil, coal and banking industries.

"They have brought the 'concrete proposals' with them, and this shows how much we would like to work with China," Ishayev said.

According to Ishayev, Russia has a major part of the world's prospected energy resources that are expected to be in great demand in the future. He said some 13 to 15 percent of the world's oil and about 35 percent of natural gas and close to 12 percent of coal belongs to Russia.

"China is a large and attractive market and Russia has rich energy resources. China has also shown its willingness to Russia," Ishayev said during the 37th International General Meeting of the PBEC Monday.

(Xinhua News Agency June 30, 2004)