Russia and China have built a new type of nation-to-nation relationship based on mutual trust and mutual benefit, a senior Russian official said here Thursday.

Mihail Nikolaev, vice-chairman of the Federation Council of Russia, made the remarks at a meeting which is held to mark the establishment of the China-Russia Friendly Strategic Dialogue mechanism.

Nikolaev said the strategic partnership between Russia and China was not targeted at any third country and did not point to an alliance.

The new type of relationship could be seen in many bilateral and multilateral occasions, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meetings, said Nikolaev, adding the SCO had contributed greatly to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.

Nikolaev also made positive comments on the increasingly close collaboration between Russia and China in areas like politics, trade, energy and science.

This year marks the Year of Russia in China, the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Russia Strategic Partnership of Coordination and the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the SCO.

In 2007, the Year of China in Russia, the two countries will launch a series of programs to enhance exchanges and communication among business, academic, tourism, sport and press communities, said Nikolaev.

The China-Russia Friendly Strategic Dialogue was jointly initiated by the China Association for International Friendly Contacts (CAIFC) and the Russian Institute of Security, National Defense and Justice.

Source: Xinhua