China and Russia should increase exchanges among their mainstream media, China's top media official said in Beijing Thursday.

 

Liu Yunshan, head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said China and Russia had, over the past few years, conducted fruitful cooperation in the coverage of current events.

 

Exchanges among the news media of the two countries had helped deepen mutual understanding, Liu acknowledged.

 

Liu, a member of the Political Bureau and Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting with a delegation of mainstream media from Russia in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

 

The delegation consisted of senior members from eight influential news organizations in Russia, including Vladimir Kuchko from Itar-Tass news agency, Vladimir Mamontov from Izvestia newspaper, Renat Abdullin from Interfax news agency, Andrei Iliashenko from RIA-Novosti news agency, Georgy Bovt from Profil magazine, Svetlana Kolosova from Channel One TV station, Sergey Kurokhtin from Mayak radio station and Yuri Koveshnikov from Rossiskaya Gazeta newspaper.

 

Their visit constitutes one of the major events in the "Year of Russia" activities that President Hu Jintao and President Vladimir Putin jointly launched in Beijing in March.

 

The group arrived here Wednesday for a five-day visit to China as guest of the Information Office under the State Council, or the Chinese central government.

 

They have held meetings with ranking government officials and state-owned company executives in Beijing.

 

Members of the Russian delegation expressed the wish to experience the "real China." They also hope to explore new ways and channels for expanding news cooperation with China.

 

The delegation will also travel to Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

 

They said China's achievements in reform and opening the country to the outside world had drawn increasing interest from the Russian media.

 

Liu expressed the wish that the Russian media leaders would gain a deeper understanding of China and experience the friendship of the Chinese people.

 

In reply to questions from the Russian delegation, Liu said Chinese leaders and government placed great importance on the "Year of China" activities to be held in Russia next year. He was confident that the event would be as successful as the on-going Russia Year held in China.

 

Cai Wu, head of the Information Office under the State Council, and Russian Ambassador to China Sergey Razov were also present at the meeting.

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 12, 2006)