Russia and China Reorient Cooperation from Military to Civilian Technology

According to Wang Hui, the head of a Chinese delegation now in Moscow, there is currently no question of technical cooperation in the military sector between Russia and China. Wang Hui is the head of the Department of Science and Technology of the Chinese Ministry for Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation.

The minister stated that cooperation in this sphere is currently unrealistic and that 'economic cooperation between Russia and China should, above all, be directed towards raising the standard of living of citizens of both countries'. Wang Hui admitted that there are experts on military technology in the delegation, but said that the projects which they intend to propose to their Russian partners are for converting production.

'The aim of our visit to Russia is to contribute to the development of friendly relations and to lay the foundations for developing multifaceted cooperation, especially in the high-technology sector,' said Wang Hui. In his opinion, the Russian and Chinese economies complement each other and the prospects for their cooperation are excellent. 'China and Russia are important countries which are following their own paths of development and pursuing their own particular policies. This is the basis for successful cooperation between our countries,' said the head of the delegation.

Wang Hui stressed that he is hoping for cooperation with Russia in the high-technology and aviation sectors and in the production of new materials and metals. He announced that during the course of the current visit the Chinese delegation will hold talks with representatives of 200 Russian firms with the aim of signing contracts.

According to Wang Hui, in 2001 the volume of trade between Russia and China totalled USD 10,670,000,000, and in the first half of 2002 it was USD 5,460,000,000, which is a rise of 19% on the same period of the previous year. In the high-technology sector, 35 contracts worth a total of USD 11,763,000 were signed in 2001, and in the first half of 2002 a further 27 were signed, worth USD 20,767,000. He also noted that both sides 'are still experiencing a lack of mutual trust' and he expressed the hope that with time this barrier will be overcome.