MOSCOW, December 7. /TASS/. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin and Mayor of Beijing Chen Jining have signed a program of cooperation between Moscow and Beijing city authorities for 2021-2023. It is planned to continue to exchange best practices of the two capitals in fighting the pandemic, developing the subway system, tourism, and other spheres, the press service of the mayor and the Moscow government told TASS on Monday.
"The signing ceremony was held in a video conference format within the framework of the Moscow - Beijing - 25: New Time - New Opportunities online forum dedicated to the 25th anniversary of establishing partner relations between the capitals of Russia and China. According to the mutual agreement, the main directions of cooperation between Moscow and Beijing in 2020-2023 will become the exchange of best practices and implementation of joint projects in such spheres as trade and economic and innovative cooperation, scientific and technical innovations, education, urban planning, transportation, public health, tourism and culture, media outlets," the press service said.
The press service added that, for instance, the program includes the creation of a database of industry-specific experts in particular spheres in order to exchange scientific and technical talents; the development of cooperation in humanities by means of exchanging instructors, students, and schoolchildren, organizing joint study and research; sharing best practices in the city transportation management, transportation planning for the Winter Olympic Games which will take place in Beijing in 2022; exchanging solutions in the sphere of control and prevention of the coronavirus infection, its treatment and diagnostics.
"The bilateral relations between Moscow and Beijing are built on the basis of the agreement to establish friendly partner relations of May 16, 1995. During the anniversary forum dedicated to this date, the staff of the city administrations of the two capitals will discuss the opportunities of joint projects in the spheres of innovation, science, economy, and transport. It is also planned to sign an agreement on cooperation between Moscow and Beijing subways for another five-year term. Within the framework of this agreement the specialists will continue to share regularly their expertise in the infrastructure development and implementation of cutting-edge technologies in the subway," the press service specified.
It was added that the forum will culminate in an online gala concert with the participation of the Bolshoi Theatre Chamber Orchestra, the Osipov State Russian Folk Orchestra, and the Beijing Symphony Orchestra. It will be aired by Russia’s Culture TV channel and China’s BTV.
The authorities noted that "despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the volume of mutual trade between Moscow and China during 9 months of 2020 has grown by 10% compared to the same period in 2019 and totaled $20.5 bln, including $1.46 bln of exports from Moscow and $19 bln of imports from China.
In September 2020, also in a video conference format, an agreement was signed between the Moscow Innovation Cluster and the Zhongguancun technology hub on cooperation in the sphere of innovations, research and development in cutting-edge directions of science and technologies. This was one of the practical steps on implementing the joint initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on holding in 2020-2021 the Years of Russian-Chinese Scientific, Technical, and Innovative Cooperation, the press service concluded.