Chinese parliamentary delegation arrives in Khabarovsk

On Saturday a delegation of the Chinese National Popular Assembly led by the chairman of its permanent committee, Wu Bangguo, has arrived in Khabarovsk, Oleg Lekhovitsev, press secretary of the governor of the Khabarovsk territory, told RIA Novosti.

According to him, since 1998 China has been Khabarovsk's main trade partner. Last year their trade turnover reached $1 billion, or 57% of the territory's foreign trade turnover.

On May 22 Wu Bangguo is to meet with governor Victor Ishaev.

Russia and China "are each other's biggest neighbors", Wu Bangguo told journalists at the airport. "Our mutual interests are peacekeeping and development of mutually beneficial cooperation, stability, state and regional contacts between our countries", the Chinese chief delegate said.

On Sunday the delegation will go to Irkutsk to meet with Boris Govorin, governor of the Irkutsk region. On the same day, it will arrive in Moscow.

On Monday, May 24, the Chinese delegates will meet with speakers of the Federation Council and State Duma Sergei Mironov and Boris Gryzlov.

On Tuesday, May 25, the Chinese parliamentarians and Sergei Mironov will take part in a Russian-Chinese conference on border and interregional cooperation in Moscow.

On May 26 the Chinese delegation plans to meet with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. On the same day, the delegates will arrive in St. Petersburg where, on May 27, they are expected to meet with governor Valentina Matvienko.

On May 28 the Chinese parliamentary delegation will fly to Bulgaria.