During a meeting with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Jiang Zemin said the two neighbors should further use the treaty in promoting bilateral ties.

China and Russia should continue honoring the existing mechanism of the exchange of high-level visits and regular meetings, Jiang said.

They should expand trade and economic cooperation while speeding up the implementation of large co-operative projects, Jiang added.

Jiang proposed the two countries strengthen cooperation in military technology as well as military exchanges.

Jiang also stressed the importance of people-to-people contact, according to a Foreign Ministry spokesman.

"China and Russia will continue efforts to maintain their motto of 'good neighbors, good friends and good partners' as embodied in the treaty for the growth of ties under the new situation," said Jiang after he met Putin and signed a joint statement with him.

Meanwhile Putin told Jiang that achievements in bilateral relations give him confidence in a bright future for Russia-China relations in the coming year.

The Russian Government will continue to give priority to its relations with China in its foreign policies, Putin added.

The Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, signed by the two presidents when Jiang visited Moscow in July last year, has been hailed by China and Russia as creating a new type of non-alliance, non-confrontational and not targeting any third country relationship.

Bilateral relations between China and Russia experienced a remarkable upsurge in the past decade, particularly with a relationship of strategic partnership of co-ordination.

Jiang and Putin also talked about terrorism.

Highlighting anti-terrorism as a common issue faced by both countries, Jiang said that China and Russia have conducted multi-faceted and effective cooperation in anti-terrorism and said more should be done.

Jiang reaffirmed China's firm support of the anti-terrorism actions launched by Russia in tackling terrorism. The Putin administration's efforts to upset a terrorist attempt and rescue more than 800 people held hostage by Chechen separatists for three days in October have won support from China.

Putin said Russia will strengthen its consultations and cooperation with China through the existing mechanisms so that the two countries can jointly promote world peace, a Chinese spokesman said.

China and Russia are both members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) bent on the fight against international terrorism, religious extremism and ethnic separatism.

Putin's current visit was shortly after the conclusion of the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) which elected the new CPC leadership. According to the Chinese spokesman, Putin told Jiang that Russia is willing to work with the new leaders of China and push ahead with bilateral relations.

Putin also made these comments when meeting with Vice-President and newly elected General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Hu Jintao.

Both Putin and Hu agreed to further promote ties to benefit the fundamental interests of the two peoples, democracy in international relations as well as the regional and world peace, the spokesman said.

Putin said political contacts, economic cooperation and mutual co-ordination in international affairs are the three pillars of the Russia-China partnership.

Putin's meeting with Premier Zhu Rongji focused on economic cooperation.

Zhu said the two countries are strong economic complements. China has a huge market, many advantageous industries, advanced technology and constantly increasing investment capabilities, Zhu said. Russia has abundant natural resources, a solid industrial and technological base and high quality human resources, he added.

Zhu said China and Russia might discuss a plan for strategic cooperation at the proper time, giving priority to cooperation in the field of power.

Other cooperations could create mutual investment, regulate trade orders, improve trade services, and promote fair and transparent conditions for bilateral cooperation in accordance with the World Trade Organization and international conventions, he added.

The Russian president hailed the great development of bilateral cooperation in recent years.

Besides traditional energy and power sources, the two sides are fully capable of opening new cooperation avenues in nuclear energy, space technology and other new and high technologies, Putin said

Russia believes that expansion and deepening of bilateral economic cooperation will not only benefit Russian economic growth but also help China achieve its development goal set in the 16th Party Congress, Putin added. Putin also met Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Monday.

(China Daily December 3, 2002)