MOSCOW, February 14. /TASS/. Russia’s agricultural produce, as well as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals produced in Russia, are becoming increasingly popular in China, as the population is getting richer and wants more environmentally-friendly products, Alexey Maslov, the director of the Institute of Asian and African Studies at the Lomonosov Moscow State University, told TASS.

"We see how China’s interest in Russian products is changing. Previously we supplied solely natural resources there, such as wood, coal, oil and gas, while now the share of Russia’s agricultural sector is rising, those being both primary products such as wheat, canola, soybeans, meat, and finished products. For example, some types of Russian sausage, ice-cream, and chocolate are becoming increasingly popular in China <…> Russia’s cosmetics, as well as its agricultural products, have a very important competitive advantage, being environmentally friendly," Maslov said.

Some Russian cosmetics companies have already "successfully entered the Chinese market," he noted, adding that "Splat and Natura Siberica are among the most notable firms."

"Some Russian pharma companies also cooperate with China. For example, the Binnopharm company, a giant in the Russian biopharma market, broke through into the Chinese market last year," Maslov said.

The middle class, which already totals around 400-450 mln people, is growing in China, and Russian companies should take advantage of the interest of those people to environmentally-friendly products, he added.