The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation

Meeting of Russian-Chinese Business Council at Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

27.03.2024

In Moscow, at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, on March 27, was held a regular meeting of members of the Association “Russian-Chinese Business Council” was held.

At his welcoming speech, Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vladimir Padalko noted that currently the importance of trade and economic cooperation with China takes on a special meaning. “The PRC has been Russia’s main and, most importantly, reliable trading partner for a long period of time,” Mr. Padalko emphasized. The volume of bilateral trade turnover exceeded $240 billion and continues to grow, he recalled.

Modern geopolitical reality opens up new opportunities for business associations between Russia and China, as well as bilateral mechanisms for supporting foreign economic activity, said the vice-president of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “The Russian-Chinese Business Council is a unique structure that combines the functions of an association of entrepreneurs and a development institution. No one has any doubt that its relevance as a platform for exchanging experiences, discussing current problems and developing solutions for the development of Russian-Chinese cooperation will grow at a rapid pace,” emphasized the Vice President of the Chamber.
He also noted that there are still many issues in Russian-Chinese business cooperation that require constant attention. Among such problems, in particular, the Vice President of the Chamber included difficulties with making payments, logistics, problems of tariff and non-tariff regulation, promoting products on the market, etc. According to him, the main task of the RCDS in this context is to monitor the situation around such system calls and timely communicate business signals to the relevant government departments.
The participants of the meeting heard a welcoming speech from the Chairman of the Russian-Chinese Business Council Gennady Timchenko, which was read by the Executive Director of the Council Evgeny Markin.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to Russia Zhang Hanhui, who spoke at the meeting, noted the high level of political and economic relations between the two countries and the constant support they provide each other on key issues, which helps maintain stability in the region.
In these conditions, the ambassador said, our entrepreneurs have directed joint efforts to build up mutual economic ties. Last year, trade reached $240 billion, marking an unprecedented level of trade. At the same time, the head of the PRC diplomatic mission noted certain difficulties in the field of mutual payments and logistics.
Governor of the Primorsky Kray Oleg Kozhemyako noted that Russian-Chinese cooperation at the regional level has acquired, as he put it, a new turn. Cooperation at border crossings is being increased, an export hub is being created, which is aimed at servicing goods from China, and representative offices of the Primorsky Kray have been opened in the provinces of Heilongjiang and Dalian. He said that cultural ties between the two countries are maintained at a high level. In particular, Harbin hosted a tour of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theater, where leading ballet performances were shown. Connections between children and youth are developing, the governor said.
Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Dmitry Volvach noted the steady growth of trade between the two countries and the strengthening of mutual trust. Russia has reached 6th place among China's trading partners, he said. We manage to find solutions, even if these solutions are not easy, the deputy minister emphasized. According to him, “a business agenda is being formed in the regions, which determines our ties.”
Chairman of the China Committee for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Ren Hongbin addressed the participants via video with a welcoming speech.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of PJSC Far Eastern Shipping Company Andrey Severilov spoke about the activities of the container company FESCO in the Chinese direction, noting that direct lines to St. Petersburg and Novorossiysk were launched in 2023 and the development of new directions continues. President and General Director of AvtoVAZ Maxim Sokolov presented various aspects of Russian-Chinese cooperation in the automotive industry.