The first Russian-Chinese forum “ROSTKI” will be held in Kazan
Tatarstan is creating a new platform for the development of trade and economic relations between the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China. The event will take place on September 7-8, 2023 at Kazan Expo.
The program of the Russian-Chinese forum is planned to include a dialogue between the parties of the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation, an exhibition, as well as thematic sessions in the areas of IT, mechanical engineering, petrochemicals, transport, tourism, culture, healthcare, sports, education and investment. The organizers expect at least 1,000 participants in the first year of the forum.
Head of the Investment Development Agency of the Republic of Tatarstan Taliya Minullina: “The name of the forum “ROSTKI” is, on the one hand, a combination of the letters of the names of the countries Russia – Tatarstan – China, on the other, a semantic reflection of the stage of development of these relations: much has already been done, but the potential remains serious.”
Trade turnover between the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation at the end of 2022 reached $190.3 billion, an increase of 29% compared to 2021. Chinese exports of goods to the Russian Federation increased by 12.8% to $76.1 billion, and imports from Russia by 43.4% to $114.1 billion.
The Russian Federation redirected significant volumes of oil and coal to China, which it had ceased supplying to Western countries. In 2022, Russia took first place in terms of crude oil supplies to China, surpassing Saudi Arabia. Chinese companies, in turn, sharply increased exports to Russia, taking advantage of the departure of many Western companies from the Russian market. In 2022, China, in particular, increased supplies to Russia of trucks, excavators and loaders, rubber tires, pumps and compressors (including turbochargers for automobile engines), taps, gate valves, valves and valves.
“If we talk about working with China, then Tatarstan and the Russian Federation as a whole have many different interesting areas of work that need to be developed. When we came up with the idea of holding a Russian-Chinese forum in Kazan, our initiative was immediately supported by the Chinese Consul General in Kazan. Having received the support of the Consul General, we contacted Rais of Tatarstan - he responded with great interest, noting that this was correct and this event should be organized. After that, we started working on dates, consulting with sinologists, so as not to fall into the period of public holidays, and not to interfere with other major events. September 7-8 are verified dates. The initiative to hold the event was also supported by numerous Russian-Chinese public associations in the country,” noted Talia Minullina.
Tatarstan has signed a large number of regional intergovernmental agreements with various Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Hunan, Heilongjiang, Zhejiang, Shandong, Anhui, and the city of Chongqing. In addition, 15 cities of the republic are twin cities with Chinese cities. These agreements, according to the head of the Tatarstan Agency for Investment Development, need to be actively implemented: “We need to look at where we have come, what worked and what didn’t. It’s, of course, possible to constantly check your watches online, but I’d also like to use in-person platforms.”
She added that the business events of the Russian-Chinese forum in Kazan will be complemented by relevant cultural and sports programs. “We plan to hold tea ceremonies and calligraphy courses - everything that today contributes to the development of cultural relations with the People's Republic of China. Today we have a lot of contacts - large Chinese enterprises operate in Tatarstan, and we would like to invite their partners to the forum,” said Talia Minullina.
The head of the Tatarstan Agency for Investment Development, Talia Minullina, said that in June the forum website, which has already been created, will start operating, it is now being filled out, and a large-scale PR campaign will start, including on social networks in China: “We think that this will be a new interesting brand.”