Visiting top Chinese legislator Wu Bangguo said Tuesday that China will boost its strategic cooperation with Russia.

In a speech at the Forum on Border and Inter-regional Cooperation Between China and Russia, Wu said China will work with Russia to fully implement the Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed in 2001 and further enhance mutual trust and understanding so as to push forward the strategic relationship to a new level.

Wu, who is chairman of China's National People's Congress, said China attaches great importance to its relations with Russia and will deepen cooperation with the neighbor both in bilateral fields and on international arenas.

Since 1992, the two countries have signed more than 180 cooperation documents and established eight sub-committees and 25 cooperation groups in the fields of economy and science and technology, the Chinese legislator noted.

He said the two countries have successfully solved the border issues and shared identical or similar views on regional and international issues.

With regard to problems in bilateral relations, Wu said they are unavoidable and can be solved through consultations.

Wu, who began a seven-day visit to Russia last Saturday, is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior Russian officials.

Russia is the first leg of Wu's four-nation European tour, which will also take him to Bulgaria, Denmark and Norway.

(Xinhua News Agency May 26, 2004)