Opening-up west strategy beneficial

China's exchanges and cooperation with Russia and the countries of Central Asia, and East, Central and West Europe have become closer than ever in recent years, with frequent exchange visits between their leaders, gradually improving dialogue mechanisms and continuously expanding two-way trade and investment.

The visits by China's leaders to Russia and some European countries in recent months, together with recent meetings between leaders of China and Central and East European nations as well as the recent summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization members are expected to bring China's cooperation with these countries closer.

With their traffic conditions improving, Eurasian countries enjoy increasingly obvious geographical advantages for economic and trade cooperation. The settlement of border issues between China and Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan has enhanced political trust between them. The continuous improvements in the SCO, China-EU Summit and the meeting mechanisms between leaders of China and Central and East European countries, as well as the various forms of partnerships established between China and these countries have also brought closer political ties, deepened their economic links and expanded their common interests.

Having experienced political and economic reforms, the situations in Russia, Central Asian and Central and East European nations have stabilized and the market mechanism has been gradually established. At the same time, their sustained economic growth, improvements in their consumption level as well as bettered investment environment have also boosted their desire for economic and trade cooperation with China.

West European countries are now in a period of industrial adjustments, which has increased their demand for China's wide market in their efforts to push for industrial transfer and technological cooperation with other countries. In the context of the global financial crisis, the meltdown of Europe's sovereign debt crisis and its deterioration has further curbed economic growth in the United States, Europe, Japan and other developed nations. Russia, and countries in Central Asia and Central and East Europe have also been affected. Deepening cooperation with a fast-growing China thus remains an advisable choice for these countries.