Russian business leaders voiced strong expectations for enhanced cooperation with China at the ongoing five-day 10th China-Russia Expo that ends on Thursday in Harbin City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, as they emphasized the pivotal role of presidential visits in driving such progress.
This year's expo has attracted more than 1,500 enterprises from 46 countries and regions, according to Chen Shijun, president of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Heilongjiang Committee.
Among these enterprises, nearly 300 Russian ones are participating in the event, displaying achievements in high-end manufacturing, energy equipment, modern agriculture and digital technologies. Its procurement group is expected to exceed 5,000 people.
These Russian participants from sectors including timber, agriculture and amber trade said the close relationship between China and Russia is creating new opportunities for business exchanges, trade growth and people-to-people connections.
"We are from the timber industry. And for us, China is very important. We hope that the visit of our president will help us as exporters to decrease transportation cost and make the exchange rate more favorable for us. That will be great," said Michael Fiodorov, director of Double Wood, and an exhibitor at the expo, in an interview with China Global Television Network prior to Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visit to China on May 19-20.
"Connections between China and Russia is [are] now at the highest point in history. The volume of our economy is both growing [is growing on both sides]. I think that the meeting between our President Vladimir Putin and [Chinese President] Xi Jinping will improve the relationship. We want to export deer meat, Russian vodka, wild berries and wood materials [to China]," said Matvey Gegeshko, another exhibitor, who serves as the general manager at the Komi Holdings.
"It's our second time in this exhibition. In Harbin, two years ago, President Vladimir Putin also was here. Today, we came here with new collection. We have many partners in China," said Maria Zhuravel, head of the Moscow Representative Office and a representative of the Kaliningrad Amber Combine, a Russian enterprise for the mining and processing of amber.
In the 55,000-square-meter exhibition hall, goods and business deals are moving at an incredible speed. The expo is not even halfway through, yet many exhibitors have already reported selling out all their products. People of both countries are proving the theme with real action and spending power: Trust, Cooperation, and Win-Win Outcome.
China-Russia Expo attendees say they welcome Putin's China visit, eye deeper cooperation
