Chinese vice president arrives in Russia to start European tour

• Source: Xinhua
• [18:22 March 20 2010]
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Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (L) accepts bouquet as he arrives in Vladivostok, Russia, March 20, 2010. At the invitation of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping arrived here Saturday for a five-day official visit to Russia. Photo: Xinhua

They expressed the belief that bilateral relations would maintain a sound development in 2010 and a series of grand events, including the Year of the Chinese Language, would further boost their bilateral ties.

China has been Russia's biggest trading partner since February last year. Sino-Russian trade reached its peak in 2008, with trade volume hitting a record 58.8 billion US dollars.

However, the volume was dragged down by the global economic downturn last year, falling 31.8 percent year on year to 38.8 billion dollars.

Their trade surged 67.9 percent on an annual basis in the first two months of 2010, bringing it close to the pre-crisis level.