Dalian to strengthen ties with Russian city

Dalian, Liaoning province, and the city of Arkhangelsk, Russia, will collaborate in various fields including economics, culture, education, sports and youth activities, according to a memorandum on friendly exchanges signed by the two cities recently.

Chen Shaowang, mayor of Dalian, highlighted the significance of local cooperation between China and Russia and said he hopes the two cities will deepen infrastructure connectivity and promote cooperation between their ports.

Chen, who is also deputy Party chief of Dalian, said the cities aim to strengthen practical cooperation in areas such as energy, minerals, timber, machinery manufacturing, fisheries and the deep processing of marine products.

The two cities also plan to collaborate to construct a platform for marine economic cooperation and promote the development of more high-quality industrial cooperation projects.

Furthermore, they will improve government communication and coordination mechanisms, accelerate the process of establishing a friendly relationship and expand practical cooperation in relevant fields.

"Dalian has been a key city for Sino-Russian cooperation with positive outcomes in trade, regional collaboration and cultural exchanges with Russian regions," Chen said.

The northeastern port city has established friendly relations with Vladivostok and Tomsk, among other Russian cities. The trade representative office of the Primorsky region and the Dalian cooperation center of the Russian Export Center have been set up, and direct flights between Dalian and Vladivostok have been initiated, facilitating smoother trade and cultural exchanges between the regions.

In addition, events such as the China-Russia (Dalian) Investment and Trade Cooperation Conference and the Russian food culture festival have been held in the city.

According to Chen, bilateral trade volume between Dalian and Russian regions reached 43.6 billion yuan ($6 billion) last year, with 176 Russian enterprises having established operations in Dalian.

Alexander Tsybulsky, governor of the Arkhangelsk region, praised Dalian for its comprehensive industrial system, strong scientific and technological resources and unique geographical advantages.

He emphasised the mutual benefit of strengthening practical cooperation between the two cities, particularly in areas such as port construction, maritime logistics, marine fisheries, timber processing and higher education, aiming to enhance youth exchanges and contribute to the continuous deepening of traditional Sino-Russian relationships.