Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Friday sent a congratulatory message to Mikhail Fradkov, who won parliament confirmation as Russia's new prime minister early in the day.

Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, voted overwhelmingly early Friday to approve Fradkov, nominated by President Vladimir Putin, as the new head of Russia's cabinet.

Fradkov, a former tax police chief and envoy to the European Union, succeeds Mikhail Kasyanov, who was dismissed by Putin on Feb. 24.