Speaking this Friday at the opening ceremony of the 8th China-Russia Exhibition in Harbin’s city, Putin pointed out that the overwhelming majority of Russian entities maintain ties with Chinese partners, and that almost all provinces and institutions in China participate in the said cooperation.

With no other country does Russia have such a wide network of direct contacts and interregional cooperation agreements in various fields. “Of course, we see great potential to deepen ties between the Russian Far East and the northeast of the People’s Republic of China,” the president stressed.

Putin took advantage of inviting Chinese friends to the ninth edition of the Eastern Economic Forum that will take place in Vladivostok early in next September. “It will be an opportunity to continue a detailed discussion on the possibilities of cooperation with Russia, particularly in the territories (…) that offer preferential treatment to foreign investors,” he said.

During his speech, Putin recalled that, to date, more than 300 Russian towns have twinned with Chinese cities and municipalities.

The eighth edition of the China-Russia Exhibition, whose objective is to expand and diversify trade between the two countries, will take place from May 17th to 21st in the city of Harbin, capital of the Heilongjiang province, and will feature more than two thousand participants.

The key element of the current edition will be the fourth Sino-Russian forum on interregional cooperation, which will be attended by representatives of 25 regions of Russia. Interregional agreements will be signed on the sidelines of the exhibition.

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