(China Daily)
Updated: 2007-11-06 07:16

The 200 cultural programs held during the "Year of China" in Russia from March have projected modern China to the Russian people and deepened mutual trust and friendship.

The programs have aroused the interest of Russians to learn the Chinese language.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who loves Shaolin Kungfu, began his annual press conference in February by using nihao, Putonghua for "hello" to greet everybody.

Putin's Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao sang with Russian pupils learning Chinese songs during his visit to Moscow in March.

In fact, the two heads of state initiated the national years in 2005. The "Year of Russia" in China was held last year followed by the "Year of China" in Russia.

But cultural programs were not the only events to be held during the national years. Higher-education exhibitions, a forum of university presidents and art festivals, too, were part of the events.

The programs have promoted cooperation, especially consolidating the foundation for long-term friendship and strengthening people-to-people contact.

So far, six Russian universities have signed agreements with China to set up Confucius Institutes.

The national years have boosted Sino-Russian cooperation in the cultural sector. More than 10,000 Chinese students are studying in Russia today, with several thousand Russians doing the same in China.

The "Year of China" in Russia had a wide array of exhibitions from the treasures of the Forbidden City, ancient bronze articles, porcelain and silk to kungfu performances, acrobatics, Tibetan and other folk arts and films.

The colorful programs have aroused Russian people's interest in China, says Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Also, artists and journalists in the two countries have got a chance to further explore and appreciate one another's culture and social conditions by traveling across China and Russia.

Xinhua