The Russian President, Boris Yeltsin, has ended his historic visit to China with what has been described as a "journey of reconciliation".

He travelled to the north-eastern city of Harbin, once controlled by Russia and now an important centre for trade between the two countries.

Speaking to officials from both sides of the border, Mr Yeltsin again stressed his desire to increase trade with China. To this end he proposed extending the free trade zone around the border area.

"I'm very happy that our countries' economic ties are getting better now," Mr Yeltsin told reporters on a visit to a World War II monument to Soviet soldiers.

Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang, formerly part of Manchuria, which borders the Russian Far East. The city was built in 1898 as the headquarters of the Russian railway running through China. During his visit to the war memorial Mr Yeltsin talked to several Russians whose families had lived in Manchuria since the railroad was built.

"We do not forget our compatriots and we are helping them with all sorts of things, including pensions," Mr Yeltsin told the group of mainly elderly people who came to greet him.

Friends again

Mr Yeltsin's visit has helped to cement the revival of good relations between the two countries.

Chaina nad Russia were close allies in the 1950s until they became locked in a battle for supremacy of the Communist world. This rivalry climaxed in a series of bloody border clashes in 1969.

The two presidents kiss and make up

Despite their differing responses to the end of the Cold War, the two countries nurtured improving political relations in the late 1980s. They now say they have developed a "strategic partnership".

However, a lack of control and government support, acknowledged by both sides, has led to a steady decline in cross-border trade over the past two years. Mr Yeltsin, accompanied by the governors of four Russian regions, held talks with Chinese officials to try to sort out existing problems.

On Monday, during his official visit to Beijing, Mr Yeltsin and Chinese President Jiang Zemin signed a declaration that ended disputes over border demarcation and outlined key areas in which the countries would develop economic ties. A separate inter-governmental memorandum aimed at kick-starting stalled economic ties was also signed.

Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov told reporters: "We hope that by expanding cooperation we can enhance cross-border trade turnover, which now stands at $1 billion."

He said the figure was "not enough and there is a great deal of work to be done".
 

Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage	©