TIANJIN, September 10. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia wants to increase food imports from China and is also working on several projects to increase food exports to the country, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich told PRIME Wednesday.

“The number of food suppliers from China will gradually increase,” Dvorkovich said, adding that the process of Russian watchdog approving the companies’ supplies had already started.

“We also want to actively export our food to China… There are serious projects connected with growing soy and other plants in Siberia or the Far East, which are aimed at the Chinese market. It is a very prospective business, in which Chinese and Russian companies will take part,” he added.

Russia has approved a resumption of Chinese pork supplies, which were suspended in 2004, from two Chinese companies owned by WH Group, the world’s major pork producer.

On August 7, Russia banned imports of beef, pork, poultry, fish, cheese, dairy products, fruit and vegetables from Australia, Canada, Norway, the U.S. and the EU for one year as an answer to Western sanctions. Since then, it has been in talks with other countries on increasing supplies to replace the banned ones.