China and Russia should enhance cooperation in economy, trade and investment, and explore new cooperation fields, so as to promote the long-term stable development of economic and trade cooperation, Chinese and Russian participants agreed at a symposium in Beijing Monday.  

At the symposium on China-Russia regional cooperation, officials, experts and scholars from the two countries held in-depth discussions on bilateral economy, trade and investment.

Chen Haosu, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said the desire of the regions of the two countries to establish links and carry out economic cooperation grows stronger along with the deepening of China-Russia relations.

Chen said he believed the symposium would promote bilateral regional cooperation, and add new vitality to the Sino-Russian good-neighborly cooperation and strategic cooperative partnership.

Vladimir Gusev, chairman of the organization responsible for the cooperation between the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russian Federation and the National People's Congress of China, said the two countries should develop an infrastructure which functions to ensure trade activities, including banks, insurance, judicature and information.

Meanwhile, the two sides should further improve the commodity transportation service, and enhance commodity standardization and quality inspection, he said.

Russian trade representative to China Serge Chiplakov suggested the two countries set up a mechanism for the mutual visits of the two countries' regional officials, and also enhance cooperation between the powerful large-scale enterprises.

Li Jianmin, researcher with the Institute of East European, Russian and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Russia has entered the concrete stage of talks for joining the World Trade Organization (WTO). Russia's entering the WTO will provide new opportunities for the Sino-Russian economy, she said.

Li said the two countries should increase the proportion of high-tech products in their bilateral trade.

Some 150 people from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Commerce, the Russian Embassy in China, and some Chinese provinces, cities and autonomous regions attended the symposium.

Launched in 1995, the symposium is held once every year with the aim of increasing mutual understanding and friendship, as well as promoting cooperation between regions of the two countries.

(Xinhua News Agency April 20, 2004)