The local government of Russia's Irkutsk Region donated a new year tree to Beijing on Friday, according to the regional official.

At the donation ceremony held here Friday, Beijing Vice-Mayor Zhang Mao said China and Russia enjoyed a traditional friendship, and that the tree serves as a curtain-raiser to the Russia Year in China scheduled for 2006.

The new year tree is a 10-meter spruce from the virgin forest in Siberia, said Governor of the Irkutsk Region Boris Govorin.

The decorations on the tree, made by children in Iskutsk, send good wishes for Beijing citizens, the governor said.

Russian Ambassador to China Sergey Razov was also present at the tree's unveiling.

Source: Xinhua