The Siberia Day series of events is held in Qingdao on Dec 17 and 18. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Siberia Day series of events was held in Qingdao on Dec 17 and 18. The activities aimed to improve synergy in value and supply chains, deepen all-around cooperation between Qingdao and Russia's Siberian region, and jointly explore new opportunities for regional collaboration.

Attending guests unanimously agreed that China-Russia sub-national cooperation holds tremendous potential and promising prospects. Natalia Donskaya, first deputy chair of the Executive Committee of the Interregional Association of Siberian Regions "Siberian Agreement", noted that Siberia is a crucial pillar of the Russian economy, and its cultural diversity resonates with China's rich traditions. She described this event as a significant and crucial step on the path toward solid friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation.

Maxim Chernyshev, counselor of the Russian Embassy in China, emphasized that inter-regional cooperation serves as a vital driver for the development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era and a new growth point for practical collaboration.

He highlighted Siberia's vast cooperation prospects with China in energy, logistics, agriculture, ecology, tourism, and high-tech sectors. He stated that this Siberia Day event would inject strong momentum into jointly advancing cooperative initiatives and deepening people-to-people exchanges.

Elena Serdiukova, deputy trade representative of the Russian Trade Representative Office in China, pointed out that Siberia is not only a resource base but also a vibrant and dynamic economic cluster. She specifically acknowledged the positive role of the mutual visa exemption policy in promoting tourism and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

The promotion session featured dedicated thematic presentations. Russian representatives gave detailed overviews in areas such as economy, trade, technology, cultural exchanges, agricultural products, food, digital trade, and tourism cooperation, comprehensively showcasing Siberia's resource endowment, industrial advantages, and collaboration needs.

The event represents a concrete measure to build new channels for bilateral coordination between China and Russia and to substantively deepen sub-national cooperation. It also established an efficient and practical platform for business matchmaking, promoting information exchange and demand alignment, further consolidating consensus on cooperation, and broadening collaborative channels.