Interview: Friendly ties guarantee Russia-China cooperation on tourism: RCC president

MOSCOW, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Friendly Russia-China relations have laid a solid foundation for their successful cooperation in the tourism industry, Sergei Zhang Sha, president of the Russia-China Club (RCC), has said.

Zhang Sha, the son of a Chinese father and a Russian Mother, told Xinhua in a recent interview that he is of the opinion that Russia-China relations are at an all-time high.

"The multi-faceted relations between Russia and China are at a very high level, which serves as a guarantee for the successful development of their cultural and people-to-people projects, including tourism exchanges," said Zhang Sha.

The ongoing reciprocal Russia-China Tourism Year events will further their cooperation on tourism, he said.

The RCC, a consortium of Russia's 10 leading travel agencies engaged in cross-border tourism with China, has received much support from the Chinese side, Zhang Sha said.

"Our Chinese partners have taken into account our suggestions on tourism when they are making relevant policies," Zhang Sha said.

China has become more and more attractive to Russians and Russian business people in particular, he added.

The RCC president said that cities in north China used to be Russians' favorite tourist destinations, but now China's southern provinces, such as Hunan, Guangxi, Jiangxi and Guangdong, begin to hold great interest for Russian tourists.