BEIJING, May 30 -- China and Russia can play more important roles within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), SCO Secretary General Rashid Alimov said in Beijing on Wednesday.
Alimov made the remarks while attending a two-day China-Russia think-tank forum, jointly held by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), which concluded Wednesday.
"After its expansion, SCO has both the potential to promote the evolution of the international landscape and the responsibility to maintain the positive development of the international order," said Alimov.
The SCO member states, regardless of size or strength, are all partners with a goal to build a positive and healthy international order, he said.
"Through active communication and learning from each other, China and Russia can promote political dialogue, economic cooperation, and regional exchange," said Igor Ivanov, president of RIAC.
China and Russia can build a new type of relations between major countries, and have made important contributions to the healthy development of the international landscape, Ivanov added.
China-Russia cooperation is being broadened and enriched, said Zhang Hanhui, China's assistant foreign minister.
Zhang added the bilateral trade volume of China and Russia reached 31.2 billion U.S. dollars from January through April, and is likely to surpass 100 billion U.S. dollars this year.
"China has been Russia's largest trade partner for eight years, and Russia is China's largest source of crude oil as well as a major source of coal," Zhang added.
This year's forum attracted over 300 attendees. The topics discussed included the domestic and foreign affairs of both countries, coordination in a changing world, as well as cooperation on security, energy, and culture.