Chengdu, Russia agree on over 8b yuan for 7 projects

Chengdu and Russia signed agreements valued at more than 8 billion yuan ($1.1 billion) for seven projects during the 2018 Chengdu-Russia Economic and Trade Cooperation Promotion Conference held in Moscow on Aug 24. The agreements cover a wide range of sectors, including biomedicine, digital information, public infrastructure, culture and music.

As part of Moscow-Chengdu Week, a promotional component of the Panda Chengdu in Russia campaign co-hosted by the municipal governments of Chengdu and Moscow, the event brought together over 200 guests, including representatives from the Embassy of China in Russia, the municipal governments of Chengdu and Moscow, Russian business associations and companies and Chengdu-based firms. The focus was on Chengdu's investment environment and its development prospects.

The conference included extensive promotion of Chengdu's business, tourism, convention and exhibition markets. A spokesperson for the commission of commerce of Chengdu highlighted the introduction of the China Rail Chengdu-Europe Express and the business opportunities it creates.

During the three-day week, the "Silk Road on the Cloud" exhibition, themed on cross-border e-commerce, was hosted by the Chengdu government in Russia for the first time. It displayed many made-in-Chengdu products, including textiles, garments and electronics, at Krasnaya Presnya Park in Moscow, attracting widespread attention.

By partnering with a Russian e-commerce platform, the event not only brought made-in-Sichuan products to Moscow consumers through a combination of physical exhibitions, online sales and trade negotiations, but also helped them expand into international markets by being promoted in Russia, according to the spokesperson.

"Organized by the Chengdu government, Chengdu cross-border e-commerce and foreign trade companies have been added to a survey of products made in Russia, with the aim of boosting mutual trade," added the spokesperson.

Besides the e-commerce exhibition, an exhibit of Chengdu's non-tangible cultural heritages and a performance of traditional Chengdu dance and music held during the eek showcased a variety of traditional wares and arts that are characteristic of Sichuan province, including Sichuan brocade, Sichuan embroidery, paper-cutting, bamboo weaving and tea art. The event was warmly received by a large crowd of appreciative visitors.