On February 8, 2010, Assistant Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping met with the delegation headed by Russia’s presidential deputy envoy to the Far East Federal District Levine Dahl.

Cheng said that the strategic and cooperative partnership between China and Russia has achieved great progress with the support and promotion of leaders of both countries. The bilateral political mutual trust is deepening, strategic partnership is enhancing and pragmatic cooperation has entered into a new stage of structural transformation and strategic upgrades. The friendship between the two peoples has grown stronger. In the new year, China is willing to work with Russia to maintain the close high-level exchanges, strengthen mutual support, hold a successful “Year of the Chinese Language” in Russia, well implement the major bilateral practical cooperation projects, reinforce strategic partnership in international affairs and advance the strategic and cooperative partnership to a new level.

He noted that the fast-growing China-Russia cooperation at local levels has become a strong support for the bilateral pragmatic partnership. The two sides should carefully implement the outline of regional cooperation between Northeast China and the Russian Far East Area and Eastern Siberia approved by the two heads of state, build the mechanism of coordinating and promoting China-Russia regional cooperation and provide financial support. They should actively push forward the cross-border infrastructure construction, especially the Heihe - Blagoveshchensk, Tongjiang – lower Lenin Square, Luoguhe - Pokrovka bridges and the Heihe – Blagoveshchensk and Raohe – Pokrovka pontoon solid ice channels; explore effective ways of developing and utilizing the Haixiazi island, work out a unified planning at an earlier date and build Heixiazi into an island of China-Russia friendship and harmony, an island of cooperation and development and an island of ecological civilization; make full use of the existing cooperation platforms and expand local cooperation channels; start with the projects which enjoy sound conditions and great potential to launch a number of demonstration pilot programs; facilitate the personnel exchanges between the two countries and fight against illegal immigration.

Levine said that Russia-China strategic and cooperative partnership moves forward steadily. The bilateral mutual trust enjoys a more solid foundation and cooperation in various fields has reached an unprecedented high level. In particular, the two countries have held the Year of China, Year of Russia, Year of the Chinese Language and Year of the Russian Language activities in recent years, which has stimulated the advance of bilateral strategic and cooperative partnership. The connection of development strategies of adjacent regions between the two countries will exert a far-reaching influence on Russia-China relations. The outline of regional cooperation between Northeast China and the Russian Far East Area and Eastern Siberia approved by the two heads of state is of great significance. Russia is ready to join hands with China to implement the outline carefully, support the building of coordination and promotion mechanism of China-Russia regional cooperation, accelerate the cross-border infrastructure construction and deepen the cooperation on large projects of wood processing, oil and gas exploitation and refining. The two governments should step up consultations on the development and utilization of Heixiazi Island. The Russian side welcomes more Chinese entrepreneurs to make investment in its Fast East region.