BEIJING, May 17 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday sent a congratulatory letter to the eighth China-Russia Expo.

The expo opened in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on the same day.

Xi said that with the joint efforts of the two countries, China-Russia relations have made solid progress step by step and delivered tangible cooperation outcomes to the benefit of the two peoples.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic ties, Xi noted, saying that standing at a new historical starting point, bilateral relations will embrace new historical opportunities and show broader prospects for development.

Stressing that after years of cultivation and development, the China-Russia Expo has become an important platform for promoting bilateral economic and trade cooperation, Xi added it is hoped that all sectors of the two countries will make full use of the opportunity presented by the current China-Russia Expo to deepen exchanges and share opportunities, jointly contribute to the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Russia, and inject new impetus into the development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.

With a theme of "cooperation, mutual trust, and opportunities," the eighth China-Russia Expo is jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce, the Heilongjiang provincial government, Russia's Ministry of Economic Development, and its Ministry of Industry and Trade.