Andrey Denisov, Russian ambassador to China, recently shared the achievements of friendly cooperation between Russia and China's Shandong province.

Known as Qilu in ancient times, Shandong was the home of the Qi and Lu states during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) as well as the Warring States Period from 475-221 BC. The province is also the birthplace of Confucius and Mencius.

Andrey Denisov, Russian ambassador to China [Photo/dzwww.com]

Denisov said that Shandong's economy is developing rapidly and has produced a number of well-known brands such as Haier, Hisense and Tsingtao beer.

He added that Shandong maintains close ties with Russian regions, with one pair of sister cities and three pairs of provinces and states engaged in friendly cooperation. Qingdao and St. Petersburg, his hometown, are also sister cities.

"This year, together, we face the enormous challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. In February, when the epidemic broke out in China, Russia provided humanitarian assistance, sent a team of experts and donated epidemic prevention materials to China," said the ambassador.

"From March to May, China provided Russia with humanitarian aid supplies, including much needed personal protective equipment, medical equipment and medicines. Shandong province has also taken an active part in assisting Russia. On April 17, Weihai donated 10,000 medical masks to Sochi, demonstrating the close ties between the two cities."

The ambassador highlighted the close economic and trade relations between Shandong and Russia.

Trade between the two sides grew 11.7 percent to $14.8 billion in 2019, according to Chinese customs. Despite the impact of the pandemic, bilateral trade has remained stable throughout this year.

"In particular, I would like to point out that Russia will actively use cross-border e-commerce channels to expand its food and agricultural exports to Shandong," he said.

He also noted that many of the Chinese companies investing in Russia come from Shandong province.

For instance, Haier Group has set up a refrigerator processing plant in the Republic of Tatarstan, a federal subject of Russia, while KAMAZ and Weichai have created a joint venture for engine production in Russia. In addition, Hisense was an official sponsor of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

He revealed that various departments in Russia are currently negotiating with Shandong enterprises regarding the construction of a dairy plant, greenhouses and animal husbandry complexes in Russia.

"Bilateral trade in food and agricultural products enjoy broad prospects. Shandong apples are popular in Russia and Tsingtao beer is world-famous and popular in Russia. I hope high-quality Russian products can also find buyers in China," he said.

The ambassador pointed out that Russia and Shandong also have close cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

He expressed hope that the two sides will continue their unremitting efforts to strengthen cooperation and strive for win-win outcomes.