China and Russia Monday vowed to step up cooperation between the two legislatures.

Wu Bangguo (R), chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, meets with Sergei Mironov, chairman of Russia's Federation Council, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 18, 2010. [Rao Aimin/Xinhua]

"China considers Russia her most important and most reliable strategic partner and gives priority to the development of the bilateral ties between the two countries," China's top legislator Wu Bangguo said in Beijing.

Wu, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, was speaking to Sergei Mironov, Chairman of the Russian Federation Council, who is paying an official goodwill visit to China from Oct. 17 to 19.

Relations between China and Russia had become the most inclusive and most vital in the world, Wu said.

The presidents of the two countries met frequently and arranged to comprehensively deepen the strategic partnership of coordination, he said.

Both countries faced severe challenges as well as great opportunities in a complex and volatile international situation, he said.

China was willing to join with Russia to deal with the challenges, comprehensively deepen cooperation in political, economic and cultural fields, further step up coordination and cooperation in international affairs, push the Sino-Russian strategic partnership of coordination to a higher level, safeguard the common interests of the two countries, and boost peace and stability in the region and the world at large, he said.