Harbin International Economic and Trade Fair

On May 17, Vice President Han Zheng alongside with Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the opening ceremony of the 8th China-Russia Expo in Harbin, where he read a congratulatory letter from President Xi Jinping and delivered his speech.

Han Zheng stated that President Xi Jinping and President Putin met in Beijing yesterday, and jointly outlined a new vision and blueprint for the development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. The political mutual trust between the two countries continues to deepen, and economic and trade cooperation has yielded fruitful results. In 2023, the trade volume between China and Russia reached a record high of $240.1 billion, with China being Russia’s largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years. Bilateral investment has been steadily increasing, and significant cooperation projects in such areas as energy, chemicals, aerospace, and connectivity are progressing smoothly. The mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Russia has not only benefited both countries and their peoples but also injected new momentum into the development of bilateral relations.

Han Zheng pointed out that the China-Russia Expo has become an important platform for promoting exchanges and cooperation between local governments and businesses of the two countries. The theme of this year's expo is “Cooperation, Mutual Trust, and Opportunity”. China is willing to work with Russia to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of the states, enhance mutual trust, deepen cooperation, and seize opportunities. This will help to consolidate the growth momentum of bilateral trade, strengthen local and cultural exchanges, explore new areas of cooperation, and add impetus and highlights to the high-quality development of China-Russia relations. This will continuously enrich the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Russia in the new era.

In his speech, Putin stated that he had a productive meeting with President Xi Jinping in Beijing, reaching important consensus on the development of bilateral relations and the expansion of practical cooperation. Harbin exemplifies the rich cultural exchanges between Russia and China. We value the tradition of friendly cooperation between our two countries. We hope both sides will tap into potential, actively leverage the platform of the China-Russia Expo, and promote new progress in cooperation across various fields, including trade, investment, energy, industry, high technology, cross-border transportation, tourism, agriculture, and local exchanges. This will build consensus and bring more benefits to the people of both countries.

After the opening ceremony, Han Zheng met with Putin. Han Zheng noted that President Xi Jinping and President Putin had comprehensively reviewed the successful experiences of the 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries and made a strategic planning as regards the next phase of bilateral strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation. Over the recent years, China-Russia cooperation has maintained a strong momentum, with “the Belt and Road Initiative” deeply integrated with the Eurasian Economic Union, and a series of major projects progressing smoothly. The China-Russia Expo has become a prominent “business card” of bilateral economic and trade cooperation. Han expressed his confidence that, through joint efforts, the cooperation between the two countries will surely yield more fruitful results, bringing tangible benefits to the peoples of both nations and making positive contributions to the promotion of global development and progress.

Putin stated that he had a substantive and productive meeting with President Xi Jinping, during which they made long-term plans for the development of bilateral relations, and that his visit was a complete success. He emphasized that both sides should closely coordinate and cooperate, strengthen practical cooperation in various fields, further advance regional cooperation between the Russian Far East and Northeast China, and promote even better development of bilateral relations.

Whereafter, Han Zheng and Putin toured the expo pavilions together, listened to presentations on bilateral cooperation, and interacted with representatives of the participating organizations.