The leader of Russia's Communist Party, Gennady Zyuganov, spoke highly of the governance capability and achievements of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

In an interview with Xinhua, Zyuganov congratulated China on the 88th anniversary of the establishment of the CPC which falls on Wednesday.

China, under the leadership of the CPC, has become a significant player in the global economic and political arena, Zyuganov said.

The enormous economic and political progress made by the world's most populous nation shows the "wisdom" of the CPC and all other countries should "seriously study" the governance experience of the CPC, he said.

Zyuganov said China can make even greater progress with the diligence and solidarity of the Chinese people following the guiding principles released at the 17th CPC National Congress.

With a foreign policy that features peace and harmony, China could become "one of the most developed countries" in economy, politics and culture in the 21st century, he said.

Zyuganov also hailed the China-Russia strategic partnership of cooperation, noting that the state visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao to Russia last month was very successful.

Although China may encounter various economic and political challenges on the way, "this is precisely characteristic of our times," he said.