VLADIVOSTOK, Russia -- Chinese Premier Li Peng was having the time of his life. First, academics at Far Eastern State University bestowed a doctorate of law on him. Then women dressed in white and beaded caps like boyars' daughters on their wedding day danced to traditional music. And Yevgeny Nazdratenko, governor of the far eastern province of Primorye, praised his "comrade" and echoed Li's calls for "strategic cooperation" between the countries.
All in all, Tuesday's events were a successful conclusion to Li's eight-day trip to Russia. The visit began with a chat with former President Boris Yeltsin. Li then met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and leaders of the Parliament and engaged in the obligatory "exchange of views about a wide range of issues of mutual interest."
As Li said in Vladivostok, "China is ready to work together with Russia toward a multipolar world."