Russian officials said at the fair on Tuesday that the China International Import Expo provided a strong impetus for Sino-Russian trade growth because the country hopes to better promote its export growth to China.
“China International Import Expo is an important opportunity for Russian companies to showcase their goods to potential importers and consumers,” said Andrey Slepnev, general manager of the Russian Export Center Group, a government-backed agency that supports exports.
Slepnev said at a China International Import Expo press conference that the Expo has shown that its size and number of political and business leaders present are world-class.
The Russian delegation was led by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. After the opening of the Expo on Monday, he briefed President Xi Jinping on the achievements of the Russian Pavilion in the fields of nuclear power, natural gas and aviation.
In a meeting with Medvedev on Monday, Xi Jinping said that China and Russia should continue to deepen cooperation in many fields such as energy, agriculture, finance, science and innovation.
The Ministry of Commerce said that in the first three quarters of this year, Sino-Russian trade volume reached more than 77 billion US dollars, an increase of 25.7% over the same period last year.
The ministry said that all of China’s major trading partners have the fastest growth rate, and bilateral trade volume is expected to reach 100 billion US dollars this year.
Slepnev said that more than 100 Russian companies participated in the fair, and many companies signed cooperation agreements with their Chinese counterparts in the first two days, mainly in the service and transportation sectors.
The expo makes the company easier and more transparent because it reduces intermediate procedures and enables foreign companies to understand China’s competitive environment and become familiar with manufacturers in other countries.
Slepnev pointed out that since the beginning of this year, Russia’s exports to China have grown strongly, especially in forestry, steel and food. Chinese buyers are also interested in Russian skin care, cosmetics and children’s products.
As part of its efforts to increase Russia’s exports to China, Export Center Group will set up trade offices in Beijing and Shanghai and set up agencies in more than 20 cities across the country to better serve Russian companies, he added. More help will be provided. Russian companies sell their products through China’s booming e-commerce platform.
News Source: China Daily
