MOSCOW - Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov on Wednesday met with He Ping, the editor-in-chief of China's Xinhua news agency, and the two promised to strengthen media cooperation and exchanges to boost China-Russia relations.

At the meeting, Zhukov said that China-Russia relations were in their historical best period with regular and frequent contacts between the leaders and close cooperation in the fields of economy, politics and cultures.

Zhukov said that he hoped that the media workers of China and Russia could further strengthen their cooperation and partnership, make joint efforts to help boost the ties between the two countries and deepen the understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

Zhukov said Xinhua is a news agency of global influence and importance and Russia is willing to continue to offer its support and help for Xinhua's work in Russia.

He, who was on a visit to Russia at the invitation of the Itar-Tass news agency, expressed Xinhua's gratitude for the support of the Russian federal government.

He said that the two countries' media exchanges have seen new progress in recent years as the China-Russia strategic cooperative partnership kept great momentum of development.

Xinhua is ready to continue to deepen and expand communications and cooperation with Russian media in an effort to advance their neighborly and friendly cooperation and boost the friendship between the peoples, he said.

During his visit in Moscow, He also met with Itar-Tass Director-General Vitaly Ignatenko and RIA Novosti news agency head Nikolai Biryukov.