Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said Sunday that China had promoted exchanges and communication with major world powers in 2006.

Li said Sino-U.S. ties maintained their stable development, citing meetings between leaders and a new consensus confirming the two powers were "stakeholders" and "constructive cooperators".

A landmark strategic economic dialogue between China and the United States begun in early December, reflecting greater interaction, boosted economic and trade, military, law enforcement, anti-terrorism, anti-proliferation, education, culture and health cooperation.

The China-Russia strategic partnership grew deeply and comprehensively, Li said.

China launched the "Year of Russia" in March, with more than 250 trade, investment, cultural and other events, highlighting closer ties between the neighbors, closer coordination on the economy and trade, science and technology and energy.

Countries increasingly emphasized the importance of "soft power" and improving their international images, leading to active exchange activities like the "Year of Russia".

EU-China relations saw stable growth, said Li, with dialogues on politics, trade, energy, education and climate change.

On Sept. 9, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and EU leaders

announced at the ninth EU-China Summit in Helsinki that China and the EU had agreed to launch negotiations on a framework Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which would encompass the full scope of their relationship.

Li noted that with new Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to China, 2006 saw a new starting point for the development of China-Japan relations.

Abe paid an official visit to China on Oct. 8 and 9, thawing the frozen political relationship and opening a window of hope for improving relations.

President Hu and Abe met again during the 14th Economic Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum last month in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam,

Despite disagreements, China observed a set policy to maintain sound relations with Japan and held the friendship should continue through the generations, Li said.

Source: Xinhua