Rossiyskaya Gazeta: Ms. Piao Yanfan, what are your expectations from the Eastern Economic Forum? What investment opportunities in the Far East are China interested in today?
Piao Yanfan: The Eastern Economic Forum is being held in such a large in-person format for the first time since the epidemic situation eased, and I am sure that even more government and business delegations will participate in it, which will be able to achieve fruitful results in the FEE framework.
We have noted that over the past year in Russia great importance was attached to the implementation of the development plans developed during the last forum, including master plans for the renewal of cities in the Far East and preparations for the creation of international priorities developmental. areas.
Ten years ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin identified the development of the Far East as a national priority for the entire 21st century. It is already known that on the anniversary of this event, representatives of various circles in Russia will consider the measures taken over the past decade and draw a conclusion about their effectiveness and how these decisions will contribute to further openness and development of the Far East. Federal District.
The Russian Far East borders northeast China and bilateral cooperation has unique geographic and traditional advantages. The Chinese side closely follows the development process of the Far East and highly appreciates Russia’s introduction and implementation of preferential regimes within the ASEZ and the Vladivostok Free Port, as well as the constant improvement of the investment and business environment.
The People’s Republic of China strives to achieve high-quality development, promoting the comprehensive revitalization of Northeast China to achieve new breakthroughs and open up to the outside world at a high level. New and broad perspectives are opening up before our parties for the development of integration on the principles of mutual benefit and win-win. Regardless of the area of cooperation, whether it is energy resources, transportation and logistics, retail trade, contract construction projects, agriculture, forestry and water management, e-commerce, digital economy, clean energy, industrial park construction or infrastructure, there will be new interaction opportunities everywhere.
China is willing to establish comprehensive and large-scale ties with the Russian Far East at a high level. I am confident that with the joint efforts of both sides, our cooperation will certainly create new opportunities to improve the well-being of the two peoples and make a positive contribution to the prosperity of the border regions and their inhabitants.
China will continue to cooperate closely with Russia to effectively implement the important agreements reached by the heads of the two states.
RG: The restrictions associated with COVID-19 have dramatically changed the format of interaction in a variety of areas and at various levels. What experience from the past three years can be used to restore economic and humanitarian ties?
Piao Yanfan: The COVID-19 epidemic has dealt a severe blow to the traditional way of production and life, while adding new models of communication and interaction: online conferences, e-commerce platforms and management of Paperless offices have developed rapidly. Internet technologies are better used, which is not only the progress of science and technology, but also the innovation of people actively adapting to a new situation. I am confident that digital technologies and the digital economy will continue to boost international trade and economic cooperation.
The main thing in relations between states is the proximity of their peoples, the main thing in relations between peoples is the fusion of cultures. While the epidemic has certainly limited humanitarian exchanges, it has not been able to curb the enthusiasm of people from different countries to expand exchanges and mutual understanding.
The lifting of Covid restrictions saw the resumption of transport connections between cities in the Russian Far East and China and therefore travel between each other. Photo: TASS
During the epidemic, China and Russia renewed their forms of cooperation, overcame many difficulties and carried out numerous humanitarian exchange activities. During the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin jointly announced the Years of Sino-Russian Cooperation in Physical Education and Sports in 2022 and 2023, opening a new page in humanitarian relations between the two countries. At the end of 2022, the Chinese Book Center was officially established at the Far Eastern Federal University, the First Chinese Animated Film Festival and the All-Army Chinese Calligraphy Competition among students of pre-university education organizations were solemnly held in Vladivostok. . of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation was successfully completed. The foundations of friendship between our peoples are constantly strengthened.
At the beginning of this year, following the optimization of anti-epidemic measures by our State, humanitarian exchanges between the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation began to expand rapidly in the Far East, a region of rapid development of cooperation with China. On the occasion of the Year of the Rabbit, festive events were held in primary and secondary schools in Vladivostok, during which students celebrated the Spring Festival together. Not long ago, for the first time since the epidemic, the Chinese language competition between students of secondary special and general educational institutions of the Vladivostok consular district “Chinese language is a bridge” was held in a full-time format, and children from Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces participated in the “Children of Primorye” sports games. In addition, representatives from various circles in the scientific, educational, cultural fields, as well as the health, sports and publishing sectors, quickly resumed bilateral exchanges. Sino-Russian humanitarian ties have developed dynamically in the Far East region.
In March this year, during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, President Xi Jinping emphasized that it is important to strengthen the foundation of cultural and humanitarian exchanges, increase sister city ties between provinces and regions, intensify sister city contacts and effectively carry out years of cooperation in the field of physical culture and sports, create favorable conditions for mutual travel of citizens of the two countries. The Consulate General is willing to continue, together with the Russian side, to fully implement the agreements reached by President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin, to make new contributions to the development of Sino-Russian relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction in a new era, to build a community with a common destiny for humanity.
RG: What are the prospects for an increase in freight traffic through the Grodekovo-Suifenhe and Makhalino-Hunchun railway checkpoints?
Piao Yanfan: Under the current situation, new development opportunities are opening up in trade and economic cooperation between China and Russia. On the Russian-Chinese border within the Primorsky Territory there are five road and two rail border checkpoints. They played an important role in creating convenient passenger transportation schemes, ensuring uninterrupted supply of goods and unhindered trade. Following the weakening of the epidemic situation, the optimization and adjustment of prevention and control measures, bilateral trade and economic ties continue to expand. According to data provided by the Russian side, in the first quarter of 2023 the trade turnover between the Primorsky Territory and the provinces of China amounted to 2.2 billion dollars, an increase of 62 percent compared to the same period of the year. past.
The two railway border posts of Suifenhe, Grodekovo and Hunchun, Makhalino played an important role in the export of coal, timber and marine products to China. In 2022, despite problems such as insufficient capacity of the eastern line of Russian Railways and difficulties with the supply of wagons, the parties tried to meet the demand for freight transportation as much as possible, ensured an increase in the volume of bilateral trade and They contributed to a more efficient implementation of the important transit function of railway border control posts.
We hope that in the future the parties will improve transportation infrastructure and checkpoint infrastructure, increase the efficiency of customs clearance, and strengthen coordination and interaction in foreign economic activity.
RG: What measures are being taken to increase mutual tourist flow between China and Russia?
Piao Yanfan: Cooperation in the field of tourism is an important part of humanitarian exchanges and trade interaction between China and Russia. According to statistics from the Chinese side, 2.25 million Chinese tourists came to Russia in 2019, and the number of Russians who visited China reached 2.72 million. Vladivostok was Russia’s third most popular tourist destination among Chinese tourists, behind Moscow and St. Petersburg.
In the first quarter of 2023, trade turnover between the Primorsky Territory and the provinces of China amounted to $2.2 billion, an increase of 62 percent compared to the same period last year.
After the pandemic, the tourism industry is recovering and developing, and the desire of residents of our countries to travel to a neighboring state is growing. The parties meet halfway and systematically take measures on flights, operation of checkpoints, issuance of visas, tourist facilities and tourism management in order to create conditions for the full resumption of travel and contacts of people.
During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia in March this year, the heads of the two states agreed to continue expanding cooperation in the field of tourism and promote the formation of a comfortable tourist environment. China will continue to work closely with Russia to effectively implement the important agreements reached by the two heads of state, promote better mutual understanding through personal contact with the culture and geography of its neighboring country through tourism, and promote the friendship transmitted from generation to generation. .
RG: What problems do you see in the development of economic cooperation?
Piao Yanfan: The investment and business environment in the Russian Far East has improved in recent years. At the same time, as they say, there will always be a reason and an opportunity for improvement. Chinese companies that have been operating in the Far East for a long time have certain expectations. First, they want greater stability and predictability in industrial policy. Secondly, they expect a timely flexibility in labor and immigration policies, the provision of personnel for cooperation projects and the creation of greater facilities for the exchange of personnel. Third, they hope to improve the efficiency and level of service provided by government agencies. Fourth, they hope to reduce excessive control and reduce interference in the normal conduct of business.
We hope that all regions of the consular district will continue to create a high-quality and international business and investment environment, further enhance their attractiveness, and contribute to the development of China-Russia trade and economic cooperation in qualitative and quantitative terms.
