China and Russia Tuesday hailed the50th anniversary of the founding of the Russia-China Friendship Association.
While addressing a ceremony in the Russian capital, Chen Haosu, President of Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said the Chinese people are willing to make joint efforts with their Russian counterparts to boost mutual understanding and friendship.
He also thanked the Russia-China Friendship Association for its endeavors to strengthen China-Russia ties over the past half century, saying the association is an important power in promoting the development of the China-Russia strategic partnership.
Honorary chairman and chairman of the council of the association Sergei Tikhvinsky and Mikhail Titarenko also addressed the ceremony, speaking highly of China-Russia ties and the achievements of the "Year of Russia" in China and "Year of China" in Russia.
No effort will be spared in promoting the friendship and this current historic opportunity will be seized, following the trend of the times, they said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also sent a letter of congratulations to the ceremony, saying that the people-to-people contact between Russia and China had helped to promote bilateral relations.
"People's diplomacy has largely helped save the Russian and Chinese peoples' traditional feelings of empathy to each other," he said.
"(It) promoted normalization of inter-state ties and raised them to the level of a trustful partnership and strategic interaction," the Kremlin press service quoted him as saying.
Russia and China have hosted two reciprocal theme years since 2006 to further ties. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is to visit Moscow early next month to wrap up the "Year of China" in Russia.
The Russia-China Friendship Association was established on Oct.29, 1957, and was formerly named the Soviet-China Friendship Association. Its branches have spread to many major cities, large-sized enterprises and academic institutions in Russia with the aim of boosting bilateral economic and cultural exchanges and friendship between cities.
Source: Xinhua
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