ST. PETERSBURG -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said late Wednesday that Russia and China share a broad spectrum of cooperation areas, and Russia is committed to strengthening all-around cooperation and exchanges with China.

Putin made the remarks in response to a question from Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency, during a meeting with heads of major international news agencies in St. Petersburg.

Putin emphasized that Russia has established itself as a key economic partner for China, with bilateral trade reaching $240 billion in 2024. He noted that the two countries have launched a series of practical investment projects and that the scale of investment is expected to grow further.

"This achievement stems not only from China's economic growth in scale and quality but also from the enduring friendship that binds our countries," he added.

Putin said financial cooperation is now a top priority in bilateral relations, with a focus on ensuring stable capital flows to sustain economic momentum and drive new breakthroughs in trade.

He also highlighted enormous cooperation potential in high-tech, aerospace and aircraft manufacturing.

Putin stressed that China has achieved remarkable success in the field of artificial intelligence, creating tenfold efficiency at one-tenth the cost of competitors, which is "amazing and gratifying."

As economic and cultural ties deepen, Putin noted growing interest in the Chinese language across Russia. Currently, about 25,000 young Russians are enrolled in Chinese educational institutions.

The regularly held Russia-China theme years have not only deepened cultural and people-to-people cooperation and exchanges, but also enhanced mutual understanding between the two peoples, he said.

Putin also shared a personal anecdote, revealing that his daughter began studying Chinese with a tutor in the early 2000s, and that his granddaughter now speaks fluent Chinese with her teacher from Beijing.

The media event was organized on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.