Build a New Platform and New Bridge for China-Russia Cooperation! Russia Center Launched in SCODA
On the afternoon of December 18, the launch ceremony of Russia Center in China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area was held in Beijing. Russia Center is the first country-specific center the SCO promotes publicly. The center will fully integrate modern technology and traditional Russian heritage, and build a new platform and new bridge between the two sides for win-win cooperation in industry, sci-tech, culture, business driven by robust flows of people, goods and capital.
Liu Jianjun, Member of the Standing Committee of CPC Qingdao Committee, Secretary of CPC Jiaozhou Committee, Secretary of the Party Working Committee and Director of the Administrative Committee of the SCODA makes a detailed introduction to Russia Center in his speech. Liu says, Russia Center is located in the core area of SCODA, highlighting industrial, cultural and sci-tech cooperation. Large company club, two-way investment center, trade support center will be set up to promote mutual investment and trade interactions between Chinese and Russian businesses. A comprehensive cultural and educational system will also be established including ballet theatre, concert hall, kindergarten and primary school, and China-Russia university alliance. Sino-Russian Academician Science Park, sci-tech commercialization base, incubator for innovation and start-ups will be created to forge the platforms for China-Russia academician exchanges and sci-tech cooperation and commercialization.
As an important item on the agenda, the Administrative Committee of the SCODA and the Government of Krasnodarskiy Kray of Russia signed a framework agreement on strategic cooperation at the event. A number of projects such as Russian Digital Art museum, Sino-Russian Academician Science Park, Russian agricultural products supply chain trade project, Russian marine pasture cooperation project, Lake Baikal tourism project have been signed into the Russia Center.
According to the introduction, SCODA keeps deepening local business and cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Russia by following the planning and focusing on trade and projects. Russian Export Center has been built; cooperation has been forged with new-type national export support platform of Russia; oversea warehouse has been set up in Russia; several transshipment depots in border areas have been established in Ussuri, Suifen River, Urumqi, etc. SCO specialty products pavilion is built based on Jingdong Group's logistics and payment services. Over 100 merchandises in 11 categories from Russia and other SCO countries are sold online. At Qingdao China-SCO Countries Cooperation Hub with floor area of 30,000 m2 set up in SCODA, Russian National Pavilion, Russian Specialty Exhibition Hall, and Russian Meeting Room have been built to provide one-stop and all-round services covering exhibition, introduction, road shows, business meetings, trade, etc. for Russian companies and chambers of commerce interested in entering the Chinese market. China-Russia Fund has been signed and set up, to support the development of industries in new energy, new materials, high-end manufacturing, etc. International cultural exchange activities including Russian Oil Painting Exhibition and Russian language competition have also been held.
Officials at the Administrative Committee of the SCODA introduce that, SCODA will take the opportunity of the launch of the Russia Center to optimize the business environment, promote trade in services and e-commerce cooperation, encourage central cities in Russia and other SCO countries to set up offshore start-up park in SCODA, strengthen talent and other exchanges with Russian higher education institutions and sci-tech research institutes, upgrade the operation level of "Qilu" Eurasian-Russian train, expand bilateral and multilateral cooperation with SCO and Belt and Road countries, and forge a market-oriented and law-based new development ecosystem up to international standards.