8th China-Russia Expo to be held in Harbin

The eighth China-Russia Expo is set to take place from May 16 to 21 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced on Monday.

The event is part of the celebrations as this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia.

It will feature a significant lineup of Russian enterprises organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation. Additionally, 16 Russian federal entities will present their businesses at the event, Chinese commerce ministry official Liu Xuesong said at a news conference.

The expo will also serve as a platform to highlight Russia's socio-economic development, investment opportunities, cooperative projects, quality products and distinctive cultural elements.

"As the highest level and the largest comprehensive exhibition between the two countries, the China-Russia Expo has been continuously gaining influence through years of development, and has played an important role in deepening bilateral economic and trade exchanges. The China-Russia Expo has also become a big platform for industrial runners from both countries to cooperate, a great window for local exchanges, and a beautiful name card for China-Russia economic and trade cooperation," Liu said.

In recent years, the volume of trade between China and Russia has been expanding, with commodity structure optimization going on . In 2023, bilateral trade between the two nations reached 240.1 billion U.S. dollars, achieving an established trade target of 200 billion U.S. dollars ahead of schedule.

The first quarter of 2024 saw that positive trend continue, with bilateral trade amounting to 56.68 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of 5.2 percent.

The upcoming expo is expected to attract over 5,000 professional buyers from more than 120 delegations representing 44 countries and regions.

Its exhibition area will span 388,000 square meters, showcasing more than 5,000 products in over 20 major categories from 10 sectors.

"Up to now, more than 1,400 companies from 44 countries and regions and 21 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions and cities have signed up to participate in the exhibition," Chen Shijun, head of Heilongjiang Provincial Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said at a press conference.

"During the expo, 15 activities will be held, covering local, economic, trade, investment, technology, construction, industrial and other fields. Russia has 25 state and district delegations confirmed to attend the event, in which 17 state and district chief executives will also attend," said Alexey Dakhnovsky, Russian trade representative to China.

This year's event will see Zhejiang act as its Chinese guest province of honor, Moscow as the Russian guest city of honor, and Harbin as its thematic host city.

The host city of the China-Russia Expo alternates between the two countries. Since its inception in 2014, the expo has attracted more than 7,200 Chinese and Russian enterprises, as well as over 1.05 million merchants, facilitating contracts totaling 446.8 billion yuan (about 63 billion U.S. dollars) in value.

8th China-Russia Expo to be held in Harbin

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed strong optimism in the upcoming G20 Summit reaching fruitful results in an exclusive interview with China Central Television (CCTV) prior to the 19th G20 Summit in Brazil.

The 19th G20 Summit is to take place in Brazil's city of Rio de Janeiro from Nov 18 to 19, under the theme of 'building a just world and a sustainable planet'. The summit will seek to address several global issues and development challenges, according to the Brazilian president.

"We will initiate the establishment of the Global Alliance to Combat Hunger and Poverty. I believe this is a remarkable initiative, proposed within the G20 but also open to all countries worldwide. Additionally, we are delving deeply into discussions on energy transition and climate issues. Research has proven that humanity has no viable living space beyond the Earth. Therefore, rather than seeking other planets, we should focus on improving the quality of the Earth's water and air, enabling us to live with dignity and respect," he said.

"At the same time, we aim to revisit the Bretton Woods system, particularly the roles of financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Currently, these institutions are not serving their intended purpose of helping developing countries in need of financing. Instead, they have become tools of oppression on impoverished nations. Today, Africa's debt has reached 900 billion U.S. dollars, and the interest payments surpass the investments these nations can make in development. I am advocating for converting part of African nations' debt to investments in infrastructure within Africa. We will also advance women's empowerment to ensure they can participate equally in political, economic and cultural activities," Lula added.

"Therefore, I am highly optimistic that this will be a productive and friendly G20 Leaders' Summit. I believe it will be a learning opportunity for all of us. Moreover, many people will be introduced to the magnificent city of Rio de Janeiro for the first time," he further said.

Created in 1999, the G20 is a main forum for international cooperation on financial and economic issues. It comprises the European Union, the African Union and 19 countries, including China and Brazil.

Brazil's president optimistic about G20 summit's outcomes