Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday that the deepening China-Russia pragmatic cooperation has injected robust vitality to the development of bilateral relations.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in an interview with Russian media group Russia Today during his official visit to the country.

In responding to a question on bilateral cooperation, Wang noted that with joint efforts of both sides over the decades, China-Russia cooperation has expanded in scale, strengthened in foundation and broadened in scope, yielding fruitful results.

From the 156 Soviet-assisted projects to China in the early years to today's bilateral trade volume of 244.8 billion U.S. dollars, from Russian agricultural products entering into numerous Chinese households to Chinese cars driving through the streets of Russian cities, China-Russia practical cooperation continues to deepen and thrive, injecting strong vitality into the development of bilateral relations, Wang said.

Wang said that despite headwinds against global development, China-Russia practical cooperation has continued to forge ahead, maintaining steady growth in volume and improvement in quality.

The foremost factor behind this progress is the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, Wang said, noting that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have maintained close exchanges, providing top-level design and a solid strategic foundation for China-Russia relations in the new era.

The second factor is the common development needs of both sides. China and Russia are companions on the path to development and revitalization, he said, adding that the two countries share a border of more than 4,300 km and enjoy complementary advantages, ample potential and huge space for cooperation.

The third factor is the sustained internal driving force. The China-Russia cooperation aims to benefit the two peoples, and the two sides have formed a well-established cooperation mechanism, Wang said, noting that no matter what external interference or oppression it faces, the China-Russia cooperation can overcome difficulties and stay on course without losing momentum.

Lastly, the strong public support serves as a foundation. The two peoples share common historical memories, similar values and profound traditional friendship, and cherish their mutually beneficial cooperation, accumulating an inexhaustible driving force for cooperation, he said.

During the interview, Wang likened China-Russia cooperation to a high-speed train, saying that although the scenery and weather may change along the journey, the direction and steady pace of advancement remain unchanged.

He further noted that facing a turbulent and changing world, China-Russia cooperation will continue to move forward along its established track and advance toward three key goals as follows:

The first is to strengthen the material foundation of bilateral relations, solidify the fundamentals of economic and energy cooperation, explore opportunities in such areas as technological innovation and green development, and foster new growth drivers.

The second is to create more opportunities for the common revitalization of both countries, further expand mutual openness, learn from each other's valuable experiences, share innovation outcomes, and deepen industrial integration.

The third is to inject greater momentum into global development, further synergize the Belt and Road Initiative with the Eurasian Economic Union, lead regional cooperation, and contribute to the security, stability, and smooth flow of global industrial and supply chains through high-quality China-Russia collaboration.