Chinese President Hu Jintao met in Beijing on Thursday with Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, pledging to enhance strategic and cooperative partnership between the two nations.

Hu said China and Russia had make remarkable progress on developing their relationship in 2008.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev paid a successful visit to China in May after he took the position. Since then the Chinese and Russian presidents met with each other five times.

The two countries ran an efficient mechanism on high-level meetings and trade hit a new record high, Hu said.

He also hailed the coordination between China and Russia in coping with the international financial crisis and other global challenges.

Military relations had been also enhanced as the strategic and cooperative partnership developed, Hu said.

With the 60th anniversary of Sino-Russian diplomatic ties in 2009, Hu hopes the two countries take the chance to realize the guideline of the Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation and other documents.

Serdyukov said Russia would further military exchanges with China to contribute to the partnership.

(Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2008)