Regional cooperation between China and Russia is facing historic opportunities,with great potential and broad prospects, visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao said Sunday in Novosibirsk.

Hu hoped Russia's regional leaders would seize the opportunity and adopt a positive attitude, thus contributing to the China- Russia strategic partnership.

He made the remarks at a 90-minute seminar on China-Russia regional cooperation between Chinese and Russian regional officials, including Anatoliy Kvashnin, Russian President Vladimir Putin's representative in the Siberian Federal District, and Viktor Tolokonsky, governor of Novosibirskaya Region.

Regional cooperation was one of the important topics in his talks with Putin, Hu said.

He said both leaders agreed regional cooperation is an important part of the China-Russia strategic partnership, as more regional cooperation is conducive to consolidating the foundation of China-Russia relations and expanding overall bilateral cooperation.

The Chinese government encourages regional cooperation in various fields and personnel contacts, hoping to give full play to each other's strong points, increase mutual understanding and friendship and realize common development, he said.

China has always opposed illegal immigration and has never sought territorial expansion, Hu said.

China sincerely hopes regional cooperation would help push forward the strategic partnership, he added.

Hu also put forward a four-point proposal for China-Russia regional cooperation: giving full play to each other's strong points and realizing common development; strengthening contacts and improving cooperation efficiency; expanding cooperation areas and upgrading cooperation level; opening more markets and regulating bilateral trading.

Hu said good political ties between the two nations have created favorable conditions for expanding regional cooperation, as the two countries have thoroughly settled the issues left over by history, and the political mutual trust and the level of strategic coordination has maintained its momentum.

Leaders of the two countries support regional cooperation, which, he said, has a great potential as the two economies are growing fast and both countries have vast markets.

There are new chances for regional cooperation as China is implementing strategies of developing its vast interior and invigorating its industrial bases in the northeast, while Russia is trying to open up its Far East and the Siberian region, Hu said.

Kvashnin and other Russian and Chinese local officials present at the seminar vowed to further practical cooperation in various sectors in the border areas.

After the seminar, Hu attended a signing ceremony on further developing and strengthening the economic, trade, scientific and technological cooperation between northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and the Siberian Federal District of Russia.

Prior to the seminar, Hu visited a local airplane company.

Last year, the Siberian Federal District's trade with China was 3.9 billion US dollars, an increased of 56.5 percent compared to the same period of 2003, accounting for 18 percent of the total bilateral trade between the two countries.

Hu arrived in Novosibirsk, the third largest city of Russia, from Moscow earlier Saturday to continue his four-day state visit. He will visit Kazakhstan, the second leg of his ongoing three- nation tour, later on Sunday.

Hu will go to Britain for the G8 plus five summit after ending his visit to Kazakhstan.

Source: Xinhua