On July 12, the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SPb CCI) was visited by a government delegation from the city of Harbin (China), headed by the mayor of this city, Zhang Qixian.

During the delegation's visit to the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry a conference on trade and economic cooperation was held. They discussed the development of Russian-Chinese cooperation, which is seen as a major step towards the formation of a long-term comprehensive strategic partnership between the two friendly countries.

Ekaterina Lebedeva, Vice-President of the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, delivered a welcoming speech, emphasizing the importance of bilateral partnership between the cities.

Among the guests of honor were the Mayor of Harbin Mr. Zhang Qixiang, Deputy Mayor of Harbin Ms. Guo Shunmin, Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg Alexander Belsky, Vice Governor of St. Petersburg Anatoly Poveliy, Consul General of China in St. Wang Wenli, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Foreign Relations of St. Petersburg Arbi Abubakarov. The conference was attended by regional delegates, business leaders, representatives of Harbin and St. Petersburg.

“Russian-Chinese relations are in constant flux. For several years, China has been the main trading partner of the northern capital. Trade turnover is growing, production is strengthening cooperation. And Harbin plays a significant role in this chain. The production of power equipment, automobile and helicopter construction is developed here. Petersburg, in turn, is one of the largest industrial centers of Russia. Obviously, our cities have something to offer each other. Among the priority tasks are the solution of logistics issues, the exchange of high technologies, increasing the investment attractiveness of the city on the Neva for Chinese colleagues,” said Alexander Belsky in his welcoming speech.

Harbin Deputy Mayor Ms. Guo Shunmin presented the city and its potential for trade and economic cooperation. Also, Mr. Zhen Changyu, Deputy Head of the Administrative Committee of the Harbin Segment of the China Pilot FTA in Heilongjiang, presented the opportunities of the Harbin New Area (FTA) for investors and entrepreneurs.

One of the blocks of the event was the presentation of Chinese companies. Including the Harbin Logistics Company (HAO), which was introduced by the General Director, Mr. Xing Zhenda. The organization offers a wide range of services, including international delivery of goods, warehousing services and customs clearance. Mr. Guo Jiping, Chairman of the Board of Beijing Goli Electrical Engineering Co., Ltd. also presented the enterprise's innovative projects and achievements. The company is a leader in the production of electrical equipment.

The third Chinese company featured at the presentation is the Harbin Bowei Power Equipment Co., Ltd., headed by the chairman of the board, Mr. Xiao Lizhong. The company specializes in the production of high-tech equipment for the energy industry. It works closely with major energy companies internationally and provides cutting-edge solutions to improve the efficiency of processes in the energy industry.

The presentation also featured Russian organizations and enterprises, including NPF Medtechnika LLC, with a focus on finding partners and suppliers in China. Ilya Belov, commercial director of the company, spoke about her experience and opportunities for cooperation. Alexey Balashov, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Financial Markets of the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Director of the Additional Office of PJSC SKB Primorye "Primsotsbank" in St. Petersburg, spoke about settlements in yuan through the PRC payment system - CIPS.

Representatives of Russian organizations expressed their readiness for mutually beneficial cooperation and hope for successful cooperation with Chinese partners.
At the end of the discussion, the participants expressed their optimism regarding the future of Russian-Chinese cooperation and confirmed their readiness for further cooperation in the interests of mutual growth.
We thank the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg for the provided photos.