The Sino-Russian strategic partnership of cooperation has entered a "very important" stage in development, according to some Chinese and Russian experts on Monday.

More than 30 participants, including Chinese and Russian government and military officials and experts, discussed international and east Asian situation as well as the Sino-Russian strategic partnership of cooperation at the first Sino-Russian strategic forum which opened in Beijing Monday.

They called for enhanced political mutual trust and coordination in international and regional affairs to promote further growth of Sino-Russian strategic partnership.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Yefimovich Fradkov will pay an official visit to China from Nov. 3 to 4 for holding the 10th Sino-Russian Prime Ministers' Meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. The two leaders will discuss how to step up bilateral cooperation in the fields of politics, economics, trade, energy and technology.

Most experts held that since the two countries set up a strategic partnership of cooperation in 1996, they have made much progress in strengthening political mutual trust and expanding economic, military and security cooperation.

Xiong Guangkai, chairman of the China Institute for International Strategic Studies, said the development of a new type relationship between China and Russia sets an example for other countries in dealing with bilateral relations.

By now, the two countries have established a close high-level exchange mechanism including annual exchange of visits by heads of the two countries and by parliamentary leaders as well as regular meetings between the two prime ministers.

Early this year, the two countries launched the strategic security consultation system and have held two rounds of talks. Foreign ministries and armed forces of the two countries also maintain a regular consultation mechanism.

Zheng Yu, an expert on east Europe and central Asia affairs with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said China and Russia keep close coordination in regional and international affairs, deepen cooperation in fighting against terrorism and boosting economy and security within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and have played a positive role in settling the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

How to further enhance bilateral political mutual trust and enrich the contents of Sino-Russian strategic partnership in the wake of changing international situation is an important task for the two countries, said A. D. Voskresensky, a Russian expert with the International Affairs Institute in Moscow.

Source: Xinhua