Chinese state councilor meets Tatarstan president on ties

Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi (R) meets with Rustam Minnikhanov, president of Russian republic of Tatarstan, in Beijing, capital of China, April 16, 2014. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi met with Rustam Minnikhanov, president of the Russian republic of Tatarstan, on Wednesday.

Yang said China attaches great importance to promoting regional cooperation between China and Russia's local areas, and will work with Russia to lift regional cooperation to a new high.

Yang hailed the cooperation between relevant Chinese local areas and Tatarstan, an autonomous republic in the Russian Federation.

Minnikhanov expressed the will to expand exchanges and cooperation in trade, economy, investment, energy, machinery and culture with Chinese local governments.

Minnikhanov is visiting at the invitation of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.