BEIJING, December 29. /TASS/. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is holding talks with China’s Tibet Rhodiola Pharmaceutical on production start of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in China, Russian ambassador to China Andrei Denisov said on Tuesday at a special press conference.

"RDIF acting as the representative of the Russian side in this case is holding talks with a Chinese pharmacological company - it is named Tibet Rhodiola Pharmaceutical - to organize production of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V already registered in Russia, to organize its production in China," the Ambassador says.

"I must say these are very difficult talks covering not merely commercial matters but also the whole broad range of technical and organizational matters in the competence of plenty of government agencies in China and in Russia," Denisov noted.

"The negotiations are highly challenging but they continue; progress is present. We hope they will end with one more bilateral cooperation project and make a transition to the practical stage," Denisov said. "These projects have the support at the governmental level from the Chinese and the Russian sides," the diplomat added.