Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Moscow, June 26 (Xinhua) — Interregional cooperation between China and Russia reflects the depth of bilateral partnership and is a serious growth point for practical cooperation, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday, answering a question from a Xinhua correspondent.
“Interregional ties are the embodiment of the strategic depth of Russian-Chinese partnership. This is a serious point of growth of bilateral practical cooperation,” she said.
As M. Zakharova noted, recently there has been an “explosive” growth in exchanges between Russian regions and Chinese provinces in all areas, including trade, economics, culture and education. The diplomat cited data according to which over the past year alone, more than 40 heads of Russian regions and their deputies visited China to establish foreign economic relations and present the potential of their regions, and about fifty delegations at the level of regional ministers took part in international forums, exhibitions and fairs in China.
“Today, two-thirds of our country’s regions are linked by cooperation agreements with Chinese provinces. Almost 400 partnership pairs have been formed at the level of subjects and municipalities,” M. Zakharova said, emphasizing that the geography of bilateral cooperation is regularly replenished with new regions and cities.
The official representative noted that, for obvious reasons, the closest relations with Chinese partners are being built in the regions of the Russian Far East that border China. “The intergovernmental Russian-Chinese commission on cooperation and development of the Russian Far East and the Northeast of China gives a significant impetus to such cooperation,” she said.
According to M. Zakharova, the unique format of interregional cooperation between the regions of the Volga Federal District of Russia and the provinces of the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River of China – “Volga-Yangtze” – is also functioning effectively.
The diplomat called the festival-fair of Russian goods “Made in Russia” held in China an effective and popular way to promote Russian regional brands.
According to M. Zakharova, the largest bilateral congress and exhibition event, the Russian-Chinese EXPO, has become a convenient platform for expanding practical cooperation between Russian regions and Chinese provinces. This year it will be held for the ninth time, from July 7 to 10 in Yekaterinburg. The central event of the exhibition will be the 5th Russian-Chinese Forum on Interregional Cooperation.
“We are convinced that the potential of Russian-Chinese interregional cooperation is far from exhausted. And in the new international realities, very broad and very interesting opportunities are opening up for our countries,” concluded the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry. –0–