Chinese FM to pay official visit to Russia

BEIJING, March 28 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, will pay an official visit to Russia from March 31 to April 2, a foreign ministry spokesperson announced on Friday.

At a regular news briefing on the same day, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that China and Russia are comprehensive strategic partners of coordination for a new era, and that under the strategic guidance of the heads of state of both countries, China and Russia adhere to permanent good-neighborly friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation.

The two countries continue to deepen back-to-back strategic coordination and expand practical cooperation across various fields, making significant contributions to promoting each other's development and revitalization as well as to upholding the basic norms governing international relations, said the spokesperson.

During his visit, Wang will meet with Russian leaders and hold talks with Lavrov, according to Guo.

"The Chinese side is ready to take this visit as an opportunity to work with the Russian side to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and to engage in in-depth communication on the development of China-Russia relations and on international and regional issues of common concern," said the spokesperson.