Chinese State Councilor Wu Yi and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov agreed Wednesday that China and Russia will make joint efforts to further expand bilateral cooperation in diverse sectors.

Wu and Klebanov, co-chairpersons of the Joint Commission for the Regular Meetings of Heads of Government of Russia and China, held in-depth and extensive discussions on Sino-Russian relations at the fourth session of the Joint Commission.

This session is intended to be in preparation for the upcoming fifth regular meeting of Chinese and Russian heads of government.

Wu said she highly appreciated the successful visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China in July this year, noting that the two countries have intensified cooperation in trade, science and technology, energy, transportation, banking and space sectors.

Bilateral trade has experienced significant growth in recent years. In the first nine months of this year, the trade between China and Russia gained a 42.6-percent growth year on year to US$5.8 billion, according to statistics provided by the Chinese Customs.

Wu stressed that efforts should be made to continue exploring ways to increase cooperation for the common development and prosperity of the two countries.

Effective economic cooperation will cement the material foundation for the strategic cooperative partnership between China and Russia, she said.

Klebanov, who arrived in Beijing Tuesday at Wu's invitation, said Russia-China relations have entered into a new age of development, and that Russia is willing to work together with China to further strengthen bilateral ties and expand cooperation in all sectors.

Klebanov also called for efforts to fully exploit the role of the Joint Commission to help enterprises of the two countries expand cooperation in power, aviation, science and technology, especially high technology, and banking sectors, so as to provide good conditions for the long-term and steady development of bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

Both sides agreed that the two countries will make joint efforts in establishing friendly cooperative relations and further cement the foundation for the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.

(Xinhua 11/01/2000)