The motto and main focus of the 2nd Russia-China Forum, which was held in Khabarovsk on 4–6 September, was Bolshoy Ussuriysky: Cooperation in the Joint Development of the Island. It was attended by about 4,000 people, including business people, government officials and experts from 21 Russian regions and 14 Chinese provinces. Its programme comprised over 40 thematic platforms, as well as cultural and sports events. It was co-organised by the Roscongress Foundation.
“The People’s Republic of China is our strategic partner. We intend to maintain and further develop our fruitful cooperation in the implementation of joint projects in the economy and the social and cultural spheres,” Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation – Plenipotentiary Presidential Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev said.
The forum’s business programme focused on the joint development of Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island, logistics, industrial and technological cooperation, tourism, education and space technologies, as well as the application of artificial intelligence. The forum’s architecture included the 30th meeting of the Subcommittee on Transport Cooperation of the Russian-Chinese Intergovernmental Commission, and an Inter-District Meeting on the Implementation of the National Project International Cooperation and Export organised by the Russian Export Centre for the Far Eastern and Siberian federal districts.
The main event of the business programme was a plenary session titled Russia and China: Strategic Partnership for the Benefit of the People. It was attended by government officials and businesspeople from the two countries, who discussed the possibility of joint development of Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island, the expansion of interregional cooperation, the strengthening of transport connectivity, interaction between twin cities, support for small and medium-sized businesses, and the development of new transport corridors, and Russian-Chinese tourism.
“The 2nd Russia-China Forum has shown that the Khabarovsk Territory is becoming a centre of attraction for business, scientific and cultural contacts between our two countries. We see the interest of our Chinese partners, and growing momentum in trade, investment, logistics and tourism. But the most important thing is that our agreements are being translated into practical projects, which will benefit the people, help develop our territories, and strengthen our friendship. This is fully in keeping with the strategic policy set out by President of Russia Vladimir Putin,” Khabarovsk Region Governor Dmitry Demeshin noted.
The practical part of the business programme included an investment pitch session held to attract investors to the implementation of projects in the Far East. Investors were presented the Khabarovsk City, the Vostochny Most (Eastern Bridge) industrial park, and the Khekhtsir Ski Resort development projects.
Russian and Chinese entrepreneurs also held large-scale B2B talks at the forum. Business people from 14 Chinese provinces had over 270 individual meetings across 15 spheres, from the food industry, agriculture and machine-building to tourism, IT, creative industries, logistics and finance. As part of the business programme, Chinese participants visited several export-oriented companies of the Khabarovsk Territory.
“Our forum closely and seamlessly interacts with the Eastern Economic Forum, increasing the number of participants and strengthening its influence with every passing year. It has become an important platform and a flagship symbol of Russia-China collaboration for all Russian regions,” Chen Yongjun, Acting Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Khabarovsk, emphasised.
Panel discussions were also held within the framework of the Cross Years of Russia-China Cooperation in Education. They were devoted to the development of vocational education, student and faculty exchange programmes, joint development of education standards, and skills competitions.
More than 25 agreements and memoranda were signed at the forum, including with representatives of foreign companies and associations. Among the most significant were a memorandum on the implementation of the foreign investment project to establish production of internal combustion engines and mechanisms for shipbuilding and ship repair in the Far East, and an agreement between the Khabarovsk Territory government and the Russian Export Centre (REC, part of VEB.RF Group) approving a list of regional companies to receive REC acceleration support in entering export markets.
The forum’s cultural and sports programme included a concert by the Far Eastern Academic Symphony Orchestra featuring soloists from the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia and Chinese singer Shangrong Jiang; the ballet The Snowstorm and the operetta Silva, presented by the Khabarovsk Territory Academic Musical Theatre; and the play Fedora’s Grief, performed by the Klyuch amateur Theatre of Special People.
Forum participants also had an opportunity to visit the exhibitions Russia-China: Spiritual Neighbourhood and Historical Roots, Ambassadorial Gifts from the collection of the Moscow Kremlin Museums, and an exhibition presented by the Far Eastern Art Museum.
The sports programme included the Fuyuan-Khabarovsk sailing regatta, which brought together 20 yachts and around 90 athletes, as well as the Generation of Victors marathon, dedicated to the 81st anniversary of the Victory over militarist Japan and the end of the Second World War.
A separate highlight of the programme was the international gastronomic festival Cuisines of Russia and China, featuring 12 chefs, six from each country. They prepared Russian and Chinese dishes using produce from the Far East, serving 7,500 portions each day.
The youth programme included the Bridges of Solutions platform, which brought together 100 participants from Russia and China. Working in mixed teams, they developed proposals for the development of Bolshoi Ussuriysky Island in areas including sustainable territorial development, environmental technologies, the digital economy, international relations, youth entrepreneurship, and education. The forum also featured a Live Conversation extracurricular session on Russia-China Friendship: History and the Present Day, as well as a motivational event for young people organised by the Export School of the Russian Export Centre.
Ahead of the forum, an agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 11th Eastern Economic Forum between the Khabarovsk Territory government and the Roscongress Foundation to hold the Russia-China Forum annually in Khabarovsk. The agreement places particular emphasis on Bolshoi Ussuriysky Island, with the parties agreeing to jointly develop the project as a key topic on the Russia-China agenda. By 2030, the forum is expected to become a key platform for cooperation between Russia and China, bringing together representatives of the business community, government bodies, and experts from both countries.
The event was organised by the Khabarovsk Territory government with the support of the Office of the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District, the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation, and the Russian Export Centre (REC, part of VEB.RF Group).
The forum’s title partner is A7 LLC, while Port Elga LLC and Polyus PJSC are its general partners.
