HARBIN (China), May 18 /ITAR-TASS/. In development of bilateral co-operation Chinese and Russian regions should pass from promotion mainly of trade and economic ties to broader comprehensive partnership, Governor of northeast China’s province Heilongjiang Lu Hao told Russian reporters in this Chinese city.
“Russian-Chinese relations are relations of comprehensive strategic partnership and co-operation. In inter-regional co-operation we should also pass to broad and comprehensive partnership,” the governor said, noting that regions of the two countries should not limit their relations only with trade and economic ties. In his view, it is time to shift to development of the whole scope of relations, including cultural, humanitarian and scientific-technical ties.
“The leadership of our countries focuses on relations between Chinese and Russian regions,” the head of the Chinese provincial government said, adding that “We hope that during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forthcoming visit to China the heads of our countries will discuss regional co-operation that will promote its further development and expansion of its geography.”
The governor noted that Heilongjiang province that has the border with Russia stretching at around three thousand kilometres played an important role in the whole scope of Russian-Chinese trade and economic co-operation. This Chinese province accounts for around a fourth of foreign trade between the two countries and approximately a third of overall investment co-operation, Lu Hao noted.
As for prospects of bilateral co-operation Lu Hao noted that co-operation between all regions of the two countries should be developed on a basis of interaction already established between border regions. Meanwhile, he believes that the city of Harbin, an administrative centre in province Heilongjiang, and the Russian far eastern territorial capital city of Vladivostok can lay foundations for development of such ties, because firm ties had already been established between these cities and the two cities have an experience of long-term co-operation.
The governor noted that current transport infrastructure on Russian-Chinese border did not meet requirements of growing trade and economic co-operation. He noted that this primarily concerned construction of motor and railway border-crossing bridges across the far eastern Amur River. This project would permit to increase bilateral trade sharply and cut the cost price of goods. Meanwhile, Lu Hao believes that Russian regions should consider larger quotas for Chinese manpower that would promote growth of Chinese enterprises’ investments in Russian economy, because Chinese business people would be able to speed up construction of enterprises in Russia and reduce their prime price.
Lu Hao told reporters that during his recent visits to Moscow and St. Petersburg at meetings with the leadership of several Russian higher education establishments he had proposed to open their branches in Heilongjiang or establish joint educational institutions. The governor noted that this initiative had found support in Russia.