MOSCOW, May 15. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia-China relations have reached a new level of strategic partnership, the Russian Foreign Ministry says.

“Our relations are based on the principles of equality, friendship and mutual trust,” the ministry’s spokesman, Alexander Lukashevich said on Thursday.

“I believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming visit to China will make considerable contribution to our relations,” he said.

Russia and China maintain an intensive political dialogue. High and high-level contacts develop actively. The countries coordinate actions within different international formats such as BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), the G20, APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) and the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization), Lukashevich said.

“In addition to contacts between the presidents, the foreign ministers and heads of other federal agencies cooperate actively. Such interaction fills the dialogue with concrete substance,” he said.

Russian-Chinese economic cooperation continues developing steadily despite the growing problems in the world economy. In 2013, trade volume between the two countries increased by 1.6% and reached $90 billion, Lukashevich said.

Energy is a driving force of Russian-Chinese cooperation. The countries join efforts to intensify investment cooperation. “Relations in agriculture and the agro-industrial complex have a big potential,” he said.

Inter-regional cooperation is one of the growing tendencies in relations between the two countries, Lukashevich said.

Large-scale humanitarian actions make considerable contribution to the development of friendly relations. The Bilateral Year of Tourism and the years of languages were a big success, he said.

2015 has been declared the Year of Friendly Youth Exchanges. “Our countries are preparing to mark the 70th anniversary of the Victory in World War II in Europe and Asia. Under the agreements, major events will take place in our countries, within the UN and other international organizations,” Lukashevich said.

Education also helps bring closer the peoples of both countries. Over 25,000 Chinese students study at Russian higher education institutions and about 15,000 Russian students study at Chinese universities, he said.

"Russia and China maintain strategic partnership in international affairs,” Lukashevich said.

“We have close positions on international problems: we favor a democratic world order under the UN central role and the strengthening of international law in world affairs,” he said.