On August 24, 2001, Premier Zhu Rongji met with visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister V. I. Matviyenko, who is also Russian Chairman of the China-Russia Cooperation Committee on Education, Culture, Health and Sports.

Zhu first extended a welcome to Matviyenko’s visit to China. He said that, entering the new century, China-Russia relations have displayed more positive momentum of development. President Jiang Zemin paid a state visit to Russia not long ago and signed with President Putin the China-Russia Treaty of Good-neighborly Friendship and Cooperation, which is a cross-century document and points out the principle and direction of bilateral cooperation. It is believed that China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination based on good-neighborliness, friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation will achieve long-term and stable development.

Matviyenko conveyed Prime Minister Kasyanov’s greetings to Premier Zhu. She said that with direct push by the leaders of the two countries, cooperation between Russia and China has reached a very high level. The signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-neighborly Friendship and Cooperation opened up broad prospects for bilateral long-term cooperation. Ever since the establishment of the China-Russia Cooperation Committee on Education, Culture, Health and Sports, it has down some work to promote bilateral cultural cooperation and made plans of cooperation in many fields, which is of great importance for enhancing mutual understanding and trust between the two peoples and promoting traditional friendship. She expressed the belief that with joint efforts, Russia-China cooperation in education, culture, health and sports fields will be enhanced with bilateral relations developing better.