Today, nearly 20 companies from China's Zhejiang, Fujian and Heilongjiang provinces operate there. The companies, engaged in a wide array of industries, including light industry, clothing, timbering, electronics and IT, have provided a large number of jobs for local residents.

Xi believes conditions are now sufficiently mature for China and Russia to pursue full interregional cooperation. Rather, the final settlement of the two countries' border issues in 2008 and the approval of the interregional cooperation last year have paved the way for closer ties.

Xi's visit to Vladivostok was highly productive overall as well. While there, he witnessed representatives from Chinese and Russian local governments and companies signing 15 documents on economic ties, technology transfers, energy and infrastructure construction, worth $1.6 billion.

In Moscow, Xi attended the further signing of 13 agreements regarding economic, technological and cultural exchanges—including $6.7 billion in commercial contracts.

Languages as links

Over the past decade, the Chinese language has gained increasing popularity in Russia, noted Elena Chernyh, a professor with the Institute of Asian and African Studies at the Moscow State University.

Russian students, she said at the Beijing News Center of Russia's RIA Novosti News Agency, are demonstrating a deep interest in Mandarin Chinese, while the language has become a bridge by which they can know more about Chinese culture and lifestyles.

At the same time, an increasing number of Russian experts and teachers have come to recognize the growing overall importance of the Chinese language, she said.

With a good command of the Chinese language, she said, many Russian professionals in sectors ranging from construction to energy are increasingly able to communicate constructively with their Chinese counterparts.

Today, more than 100 secondary schools and institutions of higher learning in Russia offer Chinese courses—as opposed to about 20 schools two decades ago, according to Sergei Toroptsev, head researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute for Far Eastern Affairs.

In addition, 12 Confucius Institutes and two Confucius Class programs have been established in Russia to promote further understanding of the Chinese language and culture, according to Li Hui, China's Ambassador to Moscow.

While meeting with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Xi said the two countries should use the Year of the Chinese Language in Russia in 2010 as an opportunity to advance their people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

As part of his trip, Xi also attended the inauguration ceremony of the Chinese cultural extravaganza at the Kremlin on March 23 along with Putin.

China and Russia will also launch some 90 cultural programs within the framework of the Year of the Chinese Language.

China Radio International, for example, has produced a multimedia Chinese course to be aired on Russian TV and radio from August to October. The course, which targets a general audience, will focus on 100 Chinese words and their cultural connotations.

The Year of the Russian Language was staged in China in 2009. China also hosted the Year of Russia in 2006, while the following year witnessed the Year of China in Russia.

The hundreds of programs within these frameworks have underscored the necessity of people-to-people exchanges in diverse fields such as education, culture, sports, health, news media and movies, said Evgeny Tomikhin, Minister Counselor at the Russian Embassy in Beijing.

Tomikhin said that a common language—whether Russian or Chinese—will be indispensable when it comes to people-to-people exchanges between China and Russia.

Familiarity on a linguistic basis naturally helps enhance mutual trust between the two nations, he added.

For the Russians, he said, a good knowledge of the Chinese language not only endows them with an understanding of what the Chinese are saying, but also helps them better comprehend patterns behind Chinese thought.

"We will engage people from all walks of life, especially young people, in our activities in the Year of the Chinese Language," said Tomikhin. "I hope in the future China and Russia will launch more similar initiatives, such as culture years and tourism years."