Moscow ready to develop trade and economic cooperation with Beijing

The Moscow authorities confirm that they are ready to activate trade and economic links with Beijing, Moscow's Vice Mayor Valery Shantsev told his counterpart from Beijing Zhai Hongxiao.

Shantsev said it would be a good idea to create "a wide network of outlets selling Chinese goods, which will undoubtedly find their customers in Moscow." As of today, there already are several Chinese stores in the Russian capital, but the Moscow authorities think the sides are positively underusing their potential in this sphere.

The two vice mayors went on to discuss the prospects for setting up wholesale market selling Chinese goods, complete with a railway and truck terminals, a car service station, customs warehouses, and a hotel.

Both sides pointed out the importance of developing contacts between the two capitals in the fields of science, technology, culture, education, healthcare, sports, and tourism.

Shantsev classified the relationship between Moscow and Beijing as "friendly, close and warm." "We are happy that our contacts have become more active in the recent years, and that there's probably not one sphere left in which we don't exchange experience with each other," he added.