MOSCOW, March 20 (Xinhua) -- The Russian presidential election on Sunday was "legitimate, transparent and fair," Zhang Deguang, the head of the five Chinese observers who monitored the election, told Xinhua on Monday.

"The election process was smooth and calm. We found no violations of law or regulations," said Zhang, who was Chinese deputy foreign minister and ambassador to Russia.

Acting on earlier invitation of the Russian side, the Chinese observers met representatives from Russia's Central Election Commission (CEC) and Foreign Ministry to hear about preparations for the election.

On March 18, the Chinese observers visited seven electoral districts in Moscow, monitored the whole process of voting and talked with Russian voters.

"We think Russian society is stable. The election was held in an orderly fashion. Russian voters showed enthusiasm to participate and most of them have confidence in the future," Zhang said.

Incumbent Russian President Vladimir Putin was re-elected by garnering more than 76 percent of ballots. He is expected to lead Russia through 2024.

A total of 1,513 observers from 115 countries monitored the Russian election, according to the CEC.