BEIJING, June 25 -- Cooperation between Chinese and Russian media will not only be conducive to their development, but also help form a more diverse and balanced pattern for international communication.

A forum for Chinese and Russian media will open Thursday in St. Petersburg, aiming to promote international communication in the era of all media.

High-level representatives from both sides' media organizations are also expected to discuss media role in integrating the two countries' development strategies and new-media exchanges and cooperation.

China and Russia have enjoyed a solid foundation for their media cooperation. A committee on media cooperation has held eight meetings alternately in the two countries since 2008.

Within the framework of this committee, Chinese and Russian media have conducted close cooperation and held various events, which brought broad social influence and promoted mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

In recent years, the media of both sides have been playing an active role in helping enhance bilateral state relations, jointly witnessing a number of major events in the field of people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

Facing the complicated, volatile international situation, the development of China-Russia ties has reached an unprecedented level, with the two countries regarding each other as strategic partners.

Media ties are an important part of state-to-state relations.

During Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Russia in May, the two countries agreed to hold a media exchange year program in 2016-2017, in a bid to lift media cooperation to a national level and strategic height.

Against such a background, Chinese and Russian media should conform to the new trend of economic globalization and social informatization, and strengthen exchanges and cooperation at a higher level, so as to build a bridge of extensive support for the advancement of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.

As the two countries are committed to the integration of China's Silk Road Economic Belt initiative with the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union framework, huge opportunities lie ahead for development of the two neighbors and the region, as well as their media cooperation.

The media of both sides should create new ways and expand more space for their cooperation on the basis of mutual trust, mutual benefit and win-win results.

It is believed that they will take the 2016-2017 media exchange year program as an opportunity to deepen pragmatic cooperation and boost people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

Chinese media workers are willing to join hands with their counterparts from Russia and other countries to devote themselves to objective, impartial and just news reporting, aiming to contribute to a more diverse and balanced pattern for international communication.