On July 21, 2008, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi held talks with visiting Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov in Beijing.

During the talks, Yang said Russia had provided huge spiritual support and material assistance for China's earthquake disaster rescue and relief work, which showed the high level and specialty of the strategic and cooperative partnership between the two countries. Yang expressed China's gratitude to Russia's invitation for 1,000 Chinese primary and middle-school students from the country's quake-hit area to recover in Russia. He said China believed this would further promote the Sino-Russian friendship from generation to generation.

Lavrov said Russia cherished the Sino-Russian traditional friendship, noting Russia highly admired the Chinese government and its people's effort in fighting the disaster and was happy to offer support and assistance.

Yang said that the successful meeting between Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev this May in Beijing marked that Sino-Russian strategic and cooperative partnership has achieved its stable transition and entered a new stage for development. To further upgrade the strategic and cooperative partnership was in line with the interest of the two countries and was helpful to maintain the international strategic balance and stability. Yang said China was ready to make concerted efforts with Russia to carry out a series of important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two countries, and to increase political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation and strengthen strategic coordination in a bid to comprehensively upgrade the level of the strategic and cooperative partnership.

Lavrov said Russia would continue to commit to deepening the bilateral strategic and cooperative partnership that had maintained consistency.

The two sides agreed to keep frequent high-level visits and well prepare for the meeting between the two presidents within the year and the 13th regular meeting between the two prime ministers in the latter half of this year. Both sides will ensure that the committee for regular prime ministers' meeting, the committee for humanities cooperation and its subcommittees will hold meetings as scheduled. The two sides will strengthen strategic security consultation and the communication and coordination between the two foreign ministries, and continue to support each other on issues concerning the core interests of the two countries. The two sides agreed to accelerate consultation on the 2009-2012 plan for implementing the Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. The two countries will enhance cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, energy, disaster prevention and reduction, localities, cross-border infrastructure construction, protection and reasonable use of the cross-border water resources. They also agreed to further standardize and facilitate the personnel exchanges between the two countries and successfully host such cultural programs as the 2009 Russian language year in China and 2010 Chinese language year in Russia.

They also exchanged views on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, the Iranian nuclear issue and the cooperation in the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Following the talks, the two signed an additional protocol on the eastern part of the borders they share, with a map affiliated, which marked the completion of the 4,300 km border survey and determination. The two sides agreed to complete the approval procedures in each other's countries as soon as possible to confirm the effectiveness of the protocol through diplomatic exchange of notes.