The Forum is the only business event as part of the large-scale programme for celebrating Chinese New Year in the Northern capital, and more than 300 Russian and Chinese businessmen, officials, and representatives of non-governmental organizations took part in it. The event was organized by the St. Petersburg Government, People’s Republic ofChinaConsulate General inSt. Petersburgand “Chinese Business Centre” Association.

As Vladimir Zapevalov, a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in St. Petersburg, said, there were 5 top-level meetings ofRussia andChina in 2017. Currently, 73 projects, the cost of which is US$100 billion, are underway, with a considerable share of them relating to improving the transport infrastructure.

Chinahas become Russia’s biggest trade partner over the last 8 years, and according to the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in St. Petersburg Mrs. Guo Ming, the total trade turnover between the countries increased by 28% in 2017, amounting to US$84 billion.

“We give a special role to St. Petersburg and the Northwest Federal District in the development of the Silk Road on Ice. The country’s new programme for development, research and protection of the Arctic, “The White Book”, was published at the end of January in China”, the Consul said.

According to Ekaterina Lebedeva, Vice-President of the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, today both sides transfer from “euphoria to understanding”, and at the same time it’s important to see Russian businessmen going to China more actively and projects turning into “two-way cooperation”.

Sergey Voronkov, CEO of ExpoForum International and President of the “Chinese Business Centre” Association, spoke about opportunities provided by “contact infrastructure”. According to Mr. Voronkov, convention and exhibition events are a driver for developing relations and a unique venue for international dialogue. Thus, there are more than 170 events held at the ExpoForum every year, and the complex receives more than a million visitors. Russian-Chinese cooperation issues are regularly discussed at the biggest forums and exhibitions: the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, St. Petersburg International Gas Forum, and the “NEVA” Shipbuilding Exhibition. According to Mr. Voronkov, events for participants from both countries are regularly held at the Chinese Cultural Centre – the contact infrastructure has been created there.

Seven cooperation agreements were signed as a result of the plenary meeting. Sergey Voronkov, CEO of ExpoForum International and President of the “Chinese Business Centre” Association, signed a quadripartite agreement between ExpoForum International (Russia), Jin Qing Yang medical institution (China), the Taihe Group of Companies (Indonesia) and the Asian Medical Cosmetology Development Association (Korea). Kirill Lesnikov, Executive Director of the “Chinese Business Centre” Association, signed a bilateral agreement between the Business Contact Development Association “Chinese Business Centre” and the St. Petersburg Union of Entrepreneurs.

The roundtable on export of Russian products toChinawas held as part of the Forum. There was the Presentation Area, 19 Russian and Chinese companies took part in the exhibition, including Healthy Food Ltd. (oxygen cocktails), Dehang (legal services), OJSC Avangard (development and production of radio electronics, microcircuitry products and instrument making), Vremena Goda (Four Seasons) residential complex (apartments in newly constructed buildings), Pskov Region Export Support Centre, Kharms LLC (production of natural extracts), Sodruzhestvo non-commercial partnership (self-regulating organization of auditors) and others. The guests of the event visited theChineseSocietyMuseumand the gala dinner at the “Big Qin Restaurant” dedicated to the beginning of the Chinese New Year – the Merry Spring Festival celebration in the Russian-Chinese business park.