"Tourism Year of China" in Russia ends

ST. PETERSBURG -- "Tourism Year of China" in Russia came to an end on Friday, with senior Chinese and Russian officials pledging to promote tourism cooperation to higher levels.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Yang said the decision to hold tourism year in each other's country went in line with the overall development of bilateral relations.

The two sides have jointly hosted more than 600 activities in the past two years, which have greatly promoted tourism cooperation, deepened mutual understanding and strengthened friendship between the two peoples, and consolidated the social basis of the China-Russia ties, Wang said.

Noting that tourism cooperation between China and Russia is promising, the vice-premier said the two sides should further increase tourism exchanges, expand cooperation, and share experience.

He also hoped the two countries would establish a sound cooperation mechanism in tourism, expand youth exchanges and jointly lift the cooperation to a new level.

The tourism year program has concluded, but the comprehensive and high-level tourism cooperation has just started, Wang told his Russian counterpart, Olga Golodets.

The two sides should tap the potential of tourism cooperation, making it a new highlight of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, he said.

Golodets, for her part, said she hoped the two neighbors would further exploit the tourism market, facilitate the development of both economies and help improve the well-being of the two peoples.

The tourism year program, which began in 2012 with the "Tourism Year of Russia" in China, aims to foster tourism ties and humanistic exchanges between the two countries. It is the third theme year following the "China-Russia National Year" and the "China-Russia Year of Language" held in recent years.

The "Tourism Year of China" in Russia was officially launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in March 2013.