BEIJING, November 22. /TASS/. Beijing hopes that the State Duma (the lower house of the Russian parliament) and the National People's Congress (NPC) will strengthen cooperation in the legislative sphere and interaction on international platforms, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at a meeting with State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin in Beijing.

"We hope that the State Duma and the National People's Congress will strengthen the exchange of legislative expertise, <...> ensure better legal support for cooperation between the two countries, guarantee the linkage of China's Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, and deepen communication and coordination at multilateral platforms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS and the G20," China Central Television quoted Xi Jinping as saying.

According to Xi, strengthening cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries plays an important role in ensuring the stability and long-term development of China-Russia relations.

Xi Jinping noted that he had held two in-person talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin this year. During the meetings, they "reached a lot of new consensus on deepening the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination and practical cooperation in various fields."

The State Duma delegation has been in China on an official visit since November 21, and it will last until November 23. Earlier, Volodin and Russian MPs met with Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC.