The Prime Minister answered questions from the Russian media on the results of his visit to China.

Excerpts from the transcript:

Question: Your visit to China is coming to an end. You attended China’s first International Import Expo in Shanghai, where Russia received the status of a partner country. You also took part in a regular meeting of the heads of government of Russia and China and signed a number of bilateral documents. Which areas of continued cooperation with China would you highlight? Which industries hold the best cooperation prospects? For example, have you reached an agreement on a substantial increase of Russian agricultural exports to China?

Dmitry Medvedev: All of you saw what happened in Shanghai and Beijing. Let’s begin with Shanghai. It is a really interesting idea of our Chinese partners to hold an annual imports exhibition. It is especially interesting that it has been proposed by China, which is famous for its exports capability. It has huge revenues from exporting its products around the world. At the same time, it is also a very large market, which, as our partners say, is open to products from many countries. Russian companies have come to the expo. I looked at what they brought and saw that they offer goods of the biggest interest to the Chinese market, including agricultural products and foods. China has a very large population, as you know, which is why it is a major food importer. Russia as an agriculture leader must use this opportunity to enhance its positions.

This brings me to the second part of your question. Indeed, I discussed agricultural deliveries with President Xi Jinping, during restricted format talks with Premier of the State Council of China Li Keqiang and the intergovernmental consultations, that is, during the 23^rd  meeting of the heads of government. There were certain restrictions until recently; they concerned the import of poultry meat and dairy products. We are working with our Chinese partners to gradually lift these restrictions. Today we signed two protocols on this subject. The document was signed for Russia by Rosselkhoznadzor (the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance). This will allow our agricultural producers to enter the Chinese market. The Chinese are consuming a lot of dairy products, unlike in the past. They also eat a lot of meat. This is why the opening up of these segments is very important. I would like to emphasise that this concerns regional suppliers, who must operate with due regard for the sanitary and epidemiological requirements and the regionalisation principle we have chosen in order to increase the delivery of our agricultural products to the Chinese market.

Another major sphere of cooperation all Chinese officials highlighted today is soybeans delivery. The demand for soybeans is huge in China, which has a vast soybean market. China imports some 95 million tonnes of soybeans a year, including more than 30 million tonnes from the United States. Considering the current trade problems in US-China relations or, more precisely, the protectionist US policies towards China and several other countries, European countries as well as Russia, a part of the soybean segment on the Chinese market has become available. We have agreed with our Chinese partners that we will reinforce our positions in this segment, which is quite good for us. On the one hand, this offers an opportunity to bring our products, including soybeans, to the Chinese market. On the other hand, we can increase soybean production in Russia, primarily in the Far East. This is where we grow soybeans, and now we must prepare new fields for cultivating more soybeans.

Therefore, we can report very good results. We have also signed documents in other spheres. These concern high technology and high-tech cooperation, including space exploration, energy and several other sectors where we are cooperating. As usual, we signed the final protocol following these consultations. Traditionally signed by the prime ministers of Russia and China, this protocol reflects the outcome of the talks and, ultimately, includes instructions on the further operation of our agencies. The outcome is very positive. We hope that it will take the form of new achievements in our partnership with China.

More to be soon…

Signed documents

News conference by Dmitry Medvedev and Li Keqiang

23th regular meeting of Russian and Chinese heads of government

7 November 2018

23th regular meeting of Russian and Chinese heads of government

7 November 2018

23th regular meeting of Russian and Chinese heads of government

7 November 2018

The signing of joint documents

7 November 2018

The signing of joint documents

7 November 2018

Press statements by Li Keqiang and Dmitry Medvedev

7 November 2018

Press statements by Li Keqiang and Dmitry Medvedev

7 November 2018

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23th regular meeting of Russian and Chinese heads of government

Documents signed following the 23^rd regular meeting of the prime ministers of Russia and China:

– Joint Communique on the results of the 23^rd   regular meeting of the prime ministers of Russia and China

– Protocol of the 19th meeting of the Russian-Chinese Commission for Humanitarian Cooperation

– Development plan for agriculture in the Russian Far East and Baikal Region and Northeast China

– Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation on trade in services between the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China

– Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Customs Service of Russia and the General Administration of Customs of China on streamlining the procedure for customs operations (customs clearance) and customs control of goods moved within the framework of international electronic commerce

– Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on cooperation in the peaceful use of the GLONASS Global Navigation Satellite System and the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System

– Protocol between the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of the Russian Federation and the General Administration of Customs of China on the veterinary and sanitary requirements for mutual deliveries of dairy products  

– Protocol between the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of the Russian Federation and the General Administration of Customs of China on inspection, quarantine and veterinary-sanitary control of mutual deliveries of refrigerated poultry meat

– Agreement between the Roscosmos State Space Corporation and the China National Space Administration on cooperation in monitoring space debris and the use of collected data

– Protocol of the 22^nd meeting of the Joint Commission for Regular Meetings of Heads of Government of China and Russia

– Protocol of the 5^th meeting of the Intergovernmental Russian-Chinese Commission on Investment Cooperation

– Protocol of the 15^th meeting of the Intergovernmental Russian-Chinese Commission on energy cooperation

– Protocol of the 2^nd meeting of the Intergovernmental Russian-Chinese Commission on cooperation and development of the Russian Far East and Baikal Region and Northeast China

Press statement by Dmitry Medvedev and Li Keqiang

Excerpts from the transcript:

Dmitry Medvedev: Mr Li Keqiang, media representatives, colleagues,

Let me begin by thanking the Premier of the PRC State Council and all our Chinese friends for their hospitality and fine organisation of our work over the past few days.

We began by participating in the first Chinese International Import Expo, which is underway in Shanghai. This is a great event and we are happy that we have attended it.  Russian companies are taking part in this exhibition. Roundtable discussions were held and a productive exchange of views took place, including on the topic that my colleague has just broached. It concerns the existing international trade regulation regimes, preserving the World Trade Organisation’s rules, reforming the WTO, and the unacceptability of violations committed by certain countries that introduce unjustified trade barriers, sanctions or preferential regimes in cases where this is not allowed by law. Here our approaches are the same. As it was rightly said, we believe that everything that has been done in this sphere should facilitate global trade and global investment exchanges rather than be confined to individual countries or regions, because this hampers development as a whole.

Today, we had a packed programme. Mr Li Keqiang and I held talks in a restricted format. The 23^rd meeting of the heads of state with the participation of the delegations has just ended. A number of interagency and intergovernmental agreements have been signed. All of this demonstrates the effectiveness of the format that is being used for the 23^rd time.

What can I say about the results?

Russian-Chinese relations are currently at the upturn, largely owing to the unique system of these contacts and an active work done by our colleagues, who have been working on it practically for the whole of this year. As a result, the People’s Republic of China is today Russia’s biggest foreign trade and investment partner. 

More to be soon…

The Prime Minister answered questions online at the Shanghai Media Group headquarters.

Dmitry Medvedev participated in an online conference with Chinese internet users at the headquarters of the Shanghai Media Group.

Excerpts from the transcript:

Yuan Ming (via interpreter): This morning, the first China International Import Expo opened in Shanghai. Russia is taking part in the exhibition as one of 12 honoured guests. The Prime Minister of the Russian Federation arrived in Shanghai as the head of the Russian delegation to attend the opening ceremony. Today we are pleased to welcome the Prime Minister at the Shanghai Media Centre. Thank you for coming here to answer questions from internet users.

Welcome!

Dmitry Medvedev: Ni hao! Hello!

Question (via interpreter): Mr Prime Minister, in 2010, you visited World Expo in Shanghai. And now, eight years later, you came to Shanghai again. I would like to ask you what Russian-made innovations have the Russian Government and companies bought to the import expo?

Dmitry Medvedev: First of all, I would like to say that the idea of ​​this exhibition is very appropriate and interesting. There are not so many exhibitions of this kind in the world, focused on imports. Moreover, in this case, it is a large full-fledged exhibition attended by companies from different countries. The opening ceremony today was attended by heads of state and government. It was a big-time event with President Xi Jinping opening the expo and other speakers following.

We mentioned that the world now pays a lot of attention to exports, but this is the first expo to be entirely devoted to imports – at least on such a system-wide basis. We are happy to participate. I wanted to thank our Chinese friends once again for inviting us as a partner country.

Russian companies from some 50 percent of the country’s regions have come to this exhibition – large groups representing regional businesses with their products, ideas and proposals.

I explored country pavilions together with my colleagues, and after that we toured the Russian part of the exhibition. It contains a large number of various goods including food, appliances and agricultural equipment, and in general a lot of things that may be of interest to consumers in China and, probably, in other countries.

The venue is good. And the fact that the exhibition is going to be an annual event and business representatives will meet here every year is also very, very good. So I would like to congratulate our Chinese friends on this very important event.

Question (via interpreter): You have said that in the future non-commodity/non-energy exports from Russia should grow to $250 billion. What new growth points in the economy, trade and cooperation between Russia and China do you think this import exhibition can bring?

Dmitry Medvedev: I would say this is the track that our cooperation should take. We have learned to cooperate in the energy sector – our Chinese partners are buying both gas and oil from the Russian Federation. But these are the traditional areas of cooperation, important as they are. By the way, very soon a large energy forum between our countries will take place in Beijing. As for this exhibition, it is a completely different matter. This is about non-commodity and non-energy cooperation, involving the industries that are very important for our country – agriculture, food, high technology, various technological services, and digital economy. These industries will determine the level of development of our countries in the 21st century. We very much hope that due to this exhibition and our extensive economic ties with China, the proportion of such non-commodity exports in our trade turnover will grow. This will benefit both our economies, giving them additional development drivers, and the companies involved.

Our country is determined to change the structure of trade. Russia is a large country and a major supplier of energy resources and other commodities. But we realise that future belongs to different industries, such as high technology and modern digital solutions. So we are trying to restructure our exports. At the moment, more than 50 percent of the Russian budget revenues are not from oil and gas, not from the supply of electricity or other commodities, but from other sectors. I am sure that our cooperation in this area will help us achieve the goal.

Question (via interpreter): You noted this morning that a representative office of the Russian Export Centre is going to open in Shanghai with the support of Vnesheconombank. This is very interesting news for Shanghai. You have also repeatedly mentioned that building a digital economy is a state goal in Russia. What areas for cooperation between our countries do you see in the digital economy?

Dmitry Medvedev: First, about the Russian Export Centre. Given the scale of cooperation between Russia and China, it is absolutely obvious that this centre should be represented in China. So a representative office is to be established in Shanghai. This agency’s job is to support Russian companies’ export activities, to secure them reasonable terms for entering foreign markets, including such a large market as China. Therefore, we decided to set up a division of the Russian Export Centre here. I think it is very important. Today I looked around the exhibition and met Russian business leaders, and they thanked us for it, because it helps them work in the Chinese market.

As for the digital economy, it is a thing of the future. Everybody realises this; we realise this as well as our friends in China. We will make every effort to develop this kind of technology. After all, everything is going digital now. We are talking now – and the digitised signal goes up to the satellites; this is how they see us on TV and watch online. Without digital technology, no one would have heard or seen anything. Digital technology is also becoming a part of management – both public administration and commercial management. Digital technology is also becoming part of everyday life.

Services where people get direct answers from government agencies are already common in our country. They do not have to go anywhere; all they do is sit at their computers, open their personal accounts, fill in the forms they need and receive answers. Digital technology powers heaps of very convenient everyday things.

Finally, digital technology will contribute to the creation of what we call artificial intelligence, and artificial intelligence, quite understandably, will determine the development of countries in the current century.

In all these areas, we are ready to work together with our friends from China. Moreover, this area is very competitive. In some cases, we are being deliberately blocked, shut out of certain services or programmes because we are allegedly violating someone’s rights. This might even be true in some cases, and we need to address these incidents. But in any case, unfair competition attempts are frequent enough in this area. And in this sense, it is very important that we act together combining our efforts, including, by the way, in decision-making on future trade relations, international trade relations, the World Trade Organisation. President Xi Jinping mentioned this in his address today, and I touched upon some of these issues as well.

More to be posted soon…

The meeting took place as part of Dmitry Medvedev’s official visit to China

Meeting with President of China Xi Jinping

5 November 2018

Meeting with President of China Xi Jinping

5 November 2018

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Meeting with President of China Xi Jinping

Dmitry Medvedev’s statement at the meeting:

I am very happy to meet you, Mr Xi Jinping. Allow to me seize the opportunity and give you best regards from President Putin.

The cooperation between our countries stands at an all-time high level. The sheer number of summit meetings testifies to that:

You have already met President Putin three times this year and are going to meet again at the G20 summit.

It all proves that our countries have established relations of strategic partnership and cooperation.

 It was fascinating to take part in the first China International Import Expo.

Thank you for inviting our country to participate as a partner nation. I would like to thank you again for the attention you have given to the Russian delegation.

I believe this Expo is a good venue which can be used to host representatives of different countries and companies. On the other hand, it can be used to promote a crucial agenda in international trade which, as you justly noted today, faces a fair amount of challenges. Our joint task is to protect the existing regimes of international trade rather destroy them which sometimes happens, regrettably.

I would like to note that we will celebrate the 70^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries in 2019 which will be marked by many very different events important for Russia and China and our peoples.

Once again, thank you very much for our meeting. 

The Prime Minister addressed the opening ceremony and toured the expo.

Dmitry Medvedev’s remarks at the expo’s opening ceremony:

President Xi Jinping,

Distinguished heads of state and government,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Friends,

Heads of delegations at the opening ceremony of the 1st China International Import Expo

5 November 2018

Dmitry Medvedev delivering remarks at the opening of the 1st China International Import Expo

5 November 2018

Visiting the 1st China International Import Expo

5 November 2018

Visiting the 1st China International Import Expo

5 November 2018

Visiting the 1st China International Import Expo

5 November 2018

Visiting the 1st China International Import Expo

5 November 2018

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Heads of delegations at the opening ceremony of the 1st China International Import Expo

On behalf of Russia, I would like to welcome all those gathered here at the opening ceremony of the First China International Import Expo. This is a truly ambitious event that has brought together representatives of 130 countries who have come to Shanghai to demonstrate the capabilities of their economies and discuss the prospects of international trade – issues that must be discussed.

Today we face such common tasks as finding new sources of growth for the global economy and creating an open space for mutually beneficial cooperation, which must be pressure-free and sanctions-free and must leave no place for protectionism and restrictions. However, these are unfortunate realities of the present-day world and of the present-day economy, to which we cannot close our eyes. Trade must be based on the principles of free competition and free movement of goods and services. President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping has just eloquently stated this.

This is the approach of our country and of the People’s Republic of China, one of our key partners. We support our Chinese colleagues’ focus on long-term partnership and on establishing trade relations beneficial to all participants.

Over recent years, China has not only become the world’s factory but also a gigantic market for manufactured goods consumption, working in which is important for any country and any international company.

We are sincerely grateful to China for inviting Russia to take part in such an impressive forum as a partner country, an honourable status.

To be continued…