In the Russian capital, a school for Chinese martial arts, or wushu, is becoming a strong symbol of growing cultural and educational connection between the two countries as they observe 2026 and 2027 as the China-Russia Years of Education.
The school, located on the outskirts of Moscow, is Europe's largest wushu educational center. For more than three decades, it has introduced Russian students to Chinese martial arts, and even Chinese culture and language.
Visitors are welcomed by Chinese-style gates, a traditional garden once recognized as the most beautiful in the Russian capital, and a statue of Confucius standing at the entrance.
Hundreds of children and young athletes train at the school every week under coaches deeply influenced by the traditions of Chinese martial arts.
School administrators say many students first developed an interest in wushu through Chinese films and popular culture, including the school's director herself.
"I started doing sports, wushu in particular, thanks to Jackie Chan and Jet Li. When I saw Jackie Chan at our school in 2000, it inspired me to become a fan of wushu and to devote my entire life to this sport," said Daria Tarasova, school director and elite wushu athlete.
Tarasova later went on to become a two-time world champion, the 2008 Olympics champion, and a 19-time European wushu champion.
The school regularly sends students to China to take part in training camps and competitions, giving young athletes firsthand exposure to the birthplace of the sport.
Many Russian students say those visits not only deepen their understanding of wushu, but also allow them to experience Chinese culture in a much more meaningful and personal way.
"I traveled to China for training camps in Beijing and also to Zhenjiang. I really like Chinese culture. To be honest, Wushu originated in China. When you visit China and see the daily training of athletes, you see what you can and should strive for," said Kiril Bogdarenko, a wushu athlete.
Children begin training at the school at an early age, combining martial arts techniques with discipline and Chinese traditional philosophy. Knowledge of the Chinese language is an integral part of that learning curve.
The growing popularity of wushu reflects the broader expansion of people-to-people exchanges between Russia and China, especially ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming state visit to China.
Officials from both countries say cooperation in education, youth programs, and cultural exchange continues to serve as an important foundation for bilateral relations.
Martial art school promotes cultural exchange between Russia, China
The 10th China-Russia Expo opened on Sunday in Harbin, the provincial capital of Heilongjiang in northeast China, highlighting the resilience, vitality and mutual benefits of China-Russia economic ties.
Held from May 17 to 21, this year's expo covers a floor space of 55,000 square meters, with more than 1,500 companies from 46 countries and regions taking part. Nearly 300 Russian companies are attending, while over 5,000 buyers are expected.
Since 2014, the event has attracted more than 7,200 Chinese and Russian companies and over a million visitors.
The China-Russia Expo is the largest comprehensive exhibition platform between the two countries.
President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin each sent congratulatory letters to the event, encouraging all sectors from both countries to seize the opportunity, make full use of their geographical proximity and economic complementarity, and further expand all-round practical cooperation.
"Leaders of the two countries have signed agreements to deepen practical cooperation, which we fully support. Russia and China stand side by side for common development, benefiting young people and all people. Such cooperation is timely and far-reaching. We are here in Harbin for the China-Russia Expo, coming from Russia's Sakha Republic. Our region is dominated by agriculture. We are seeking advanced farming technologies including irrigation equipment and harvesters. We hope to reach deals in the coming days to boost local development," said Vasiliy Petrovich Alexeev, head of Ust-Aidan Region of the Russian Federation.
"We are greatly inspired by the congratulatory letters from the heads of state of China and Russia. We will keep building targeted and efficient cooperation platforms, and smooth channels for sub-national exchanges between China and Russia," said Chen Shijun, president of Heilongjiang Council for the Promotion of International Trade.
China-Russia trade volume has surpassed 200 billion U.S. dollars for three consecutive years. China has been Russia's largest trading partner for 16 years running.
In the first quarter of this year, bilateral trade volume hit 60 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of more than 14 percent.
This year's Expo features eight major exhibition zones. Beyond the exhibition halls, Russian delegations have also conducted field visits to Chinese companies. A delegation from the Republic of Buryatia visited one of northeast China's largest building materials distribution centers to explore potential areas of cooperation.
"Regular China-Russia economic and trade events continuously bring fresh cooperation opportunities for both sides. This field trip to Xilong Building Materials Market has helped us explore more practical directions and modes for bilateral cooperation," said Alexei Tsydenov, head of the Republic of Buryatia of the Russian Federation.
"Relying on Buryatia's abundant mineral resources and sound logistics conditions, we plan to build industrial parks focusing on home building materials, mineral resources and energy sectors in Russia. We will introduce advanced Chinese technologies and management models to drive coordinated industrial upgrading between the two countries," said Wu Jinrong, vice president of Harbin Xilong International Trade and Logistics Park.
From everyday consumer goods to advanced helicopters, and from mineral resources to intelligent robotics, China-Russia cooperation now spans a wide range of sectors. Economic ties and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries continue to advance toward higher-quality development and broader prospects.
China-Russia Expo promotes trust, cooperation, mutual benefit
China-Russia Expo promotes trust, cooperation, mutual benefit
