Four economic events in the national level are scheduled in the
Year of China in Russia, Yu Guangzhou, Vice Minister of Commerce,
told a news conference in Moscow on Friday.
"The four events include the Chinese National Exhibition, the
Chinese delegation's participation in the 11th St. Petersburg
International Economic Forum in June and activities related to the
Year of China in Russia, the second China-Russia Economic and Trade
Summit Forum and the fourth China-Russia Investment Promotion
Conference at the closure of the Year of China in Russia," Yu
said.
Moreover, 27 special events will be held, including areas of
economic and trade, energy, transportation, finance, information
technology, post, agriculture, quality inspection, environmental
protection, local cooperation, and etc, Yu said.
"Participating in these activities will acquaint Russians better
with a reform-and-opening-up China. Those activities on the other
hand provide a platform for the cooperation of enterprises from the
two countries," Yu said.
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, China and Russia are
expected to sign a series of agreements and contracts worth more
than US$4.3 billion during President Hu Jintao's coming visit to
Russia scheduled for March 26 to 28.
President Hu and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will
attend the opening ceremony of the Year of China in Russia and that
of the China national exhibition, which will be the biggest ever
such exhibition sponsored by China in a foreign country, Assistant
Foreign Minister Li Hui said in Beijing on Wednesday.
Yu also called for energy and forestry cooperation between China
and Russia in the news conference.
Energy cooperation plays a key role in bilateral cooperation,
and the forestry of the two countries can compensate for each
other, Yu said.
"As an important oil and gas exporter, Russia, with its abundant
energy reserves, has a broad prospect of cooperation with China, a
large energy importer and consumer in the world," he said.
"Most of China's timber is imported from Russia and most of
Russia's timber is exported to China." Therefore, China will
encourage more enterprises to invest in Russia, Yu said.
(Xinhua News Agency March 24, 2007)
