China will further boost bilateral relations with Russia during the upcoming "China-Russia Tourism Year", Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping on said on Friday.

Xi made the remarks while meeting with visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vladislav Surkov, who came to Beijing to celebrate the beginning of the 2012 Russia Tourism Year.

"The year is of great importance for revealing the two countries' natural and cultural landscapes, boosting personnel exchanges, deepening the two peoples' traditional friendship and facilitating economic growth," Xi said.

Vice-President Xi Jinping (R) meets Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vladislav Surkov before the beginning of the 2012 Russia Tourism Year in Beijing, March 23, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

Xi hailed the current momentum of China-Russia relations, citing political mutual trust and support, frequent high-level visits, rapid trade growth and close coordination in global affairs.

"China hopes to work closely with Russia to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state and enhance cooperation in multiple fields in order to boost bilateral cooperation to new heights," he said.

Surkov said Russia is committed to developing its relations with China and boosting bilateral cooperation in areas such as technological innovation and tourism.

The visit was Surkov's first to China and the first inter-governmental high-level visit between China and Russia this year.

Vice-Premier Wang Qishan, the Chinese chairman for the tourism year, also met Surkov on Friday, and they attended the opening ceremony of the tourism year at Beijing National Grand Theater.

Organizing a reciprocal China-Russian Tourism Year is a key step toward adopting the consensus proposed by the two heads of states, and it is an important event in the history of bilateral cultural exchanges, Wang said.

The two governments agreed to hold a Russia Tourism Year in China this year and a China Tourism Year in Russia in 2013.

More than 200 diverse events are to be organized by China and Russia this year. The events will promote trust, friendship and understanding between the two governments and peoples, Wang said.

The "China-Russia Tourism Year" is the third theme year to be held following the "China-Russia National Year" and the "China-Russia Language Year" held in 2006 and 2009, respectively.

The two vice-premiers will also attend the China-Russia Tourism Cooperation Forum on Saturday. The goal of the forum is to make tourism a new bright spot within mutual practical cooperation.

The tourism year will further promote the Sino-Russian strategic partnership by boosting personnel exchanges and deepening mutual understanding between the people of the two countries through tourism, said Jiang Yi, a researcher on Russian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Chinese people know very little about Russian tourism due to the lack of promotions, Jiang said, and the tourism year is a major opportunity for the country to increase publicity to attract more Chinese tourists.

China and Russia exchanged nearly 3.35 million tourists in 2011, and the two countries were important sources of tourism to each other, according to the National Tourism Administration of China.

Around 2.53 million Russians traveled to China in 2011, making Russia the third-largest source of tourists to China. The same year also saw more than 800,000 Chinese visit Russia, making China the second-largest source of tourists to Russia.

China became Russia's top trading partner for the first time in 2010, and the two countries are seeking to nearly double trade to $100 billion by 2015.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

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