Top legislator Wu Bangguo met with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Yefimovich Fradkov in Beijing on Friday. They hailed bilateral ties and vowed to promote people-to-people communication and legislative cooperation.

Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), told Fradkov that the Chinese people are satisfied with the growth of Sino-Russian relations, which are featured by enriched strategic and cooperative partnership.

"China and Russia are both shouldering tasks to improve living standards and reach national prosperity," Wu said, noting that the changing international and regional situation threw new common challenges to the two countries.

He also spoke highly of the cooperation between the Chinese NPC, the Russian Federation Council and the State Duma, appealing to the two sides to further enhance cooperation in all fields.

Fradkov said that Russia-China relations are developing quickly along with increasing exchange between the people of the two countries.

There is a sound environment for further improving Russia-China ties and he hopes that the two countries, including the two parliaments, can contribute more positively to strengthening bilateral, good-neighborly ties.

Fradkov is in Beijing for the 10th regular meeting between Chinese and Russian prime ministers, which was held Thursday. President Hu Jintao is expected meet him later in the day.

(Xinhua News Agency November 4, 2005)