Marat Khusnullin and Dmitry Chernyshenko opened the seventh Russian-Chinese Small and Medium Business Forum

Published on: 2026-09-11

Source: Government of the Russian Federation –

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The solemn opening of the seventh Russian-Chinese Business Forum for Small and Medium Enterprises took place at the National Center “Russia.” The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Chairman of the Government of Russia Marat Khusnullin and the Deputy Chairman of the Government of Russia Dmitry Chernyshenko. On the Russian side, the moderator of the forum was Boris Titov, Chairman of the Russian part of the Russian-Chinese Committee of Friendship, Peace, and Development (RCCFPD). The Chinese delegation was headed by Li Hongzhong, Chairman of the Chinese part of the RCCFPD and member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee.

“Today, Russia and China, thanks to the personal efforts of the leaders of the two countries, are at a high level of strategic partnership. The most important task is to translate this cooperation into concrete joint projects in all sectors, including the construction and development of infrastructure. Relations must be built on several levels: state, regional, and importantly, at the business level. Small and medium-sized businesses are a huge force that drives development in our countries. Thanks to them, new solutions are adopted significantly faster, and we will support this in every possible way. Today, the direction of Russia’s construction sector is set by the comprehensive national project ‘Infrastructure for Life.’ I am confident that together Russian-Chinese competencies can create infrastructure that will serve the development of our countries for many years. I would like to thank Mr. Li Hongzhong and the entire delegation for their visit. I am sure the forum will give a new impetus to our cooperation,” said Marat Khusnullin.

According to him, Russia and China have already laid the foundation for cooperation in the urban planning sphere by signing the corresponding intergovernmental memorandum in May 2026 during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China.

Among other promising areas of bilateral cooperation, the Deputy Prime Minister highlighted work on master plans and comprehensive urban development, modernization of housing and communal services and energy sectors, development of transport infrastructure and communications, artificial intelligence, and information technologies. He paid special attention to the development of international transport corridors Europe – Western China, “West – East” and “North – South,” as well as river transportation, including through the Council for Interregional Cooperation between Russia and China in the “Volga – Yangtze” format.

“Strengthening the comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction with the PRC is a priority of Russian foreign and trade-economic policy. This course is stable, long-term, and meets the objectives of strengthening equal and mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation. The central role in advancing the entire range of ties between the two countries is played by intensive dialogue between the heads of state – Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping,” said Deputy Prime Minister, co-chairman of the Intergovernmental Russian-Chinese Commission for preparing regular meetings of the heads of governments Dmitry Chernyshenko.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that Russia is among the key suppliers of energy resources, food, raw materials, and other goods to the Chinese market. Thus, in the first half of 2026, the volume of bilateral trade, according to the Chinese customs service, increased by 25.6%. At the same time, supplies of non-raw non-energy exports grew by 14%.

Dmitry Chernyshenko noted that thanks to the decision of the heads of state to cancel visas for citizens of Russia and China, the tourist flow increased by 1.5 times in the first half of 2026 and by the end of the year will exceed the pre-COVID figures by 4.2 million. He also reported that in the fields of digital economy and technologies, new companies and joint products aimed at several markets may emerge, and in green and low-carbon technologies, it is important to develop joint technological and production competencies.

The forum is hosting a large delegation from the PRC, consisting of more than 300 representatives from administration and business.

“In recent years, under the strategic leadership of the Chairman of the PRC Xi Jinping and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin, the comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction between China and Russia have advanced at a high level. Political mutual trust is steadily deepening, practical cooperation is continuously progressing, and humanitarian, cultural, and interregional exchanges are flourishing. The fruits of friendly cooperation bring real benefits to the peoples of both countries. The year 2026 is historically significant for bilateral relations. The countries mark the 30th anniversary of establishing the strategic partnership and the 25th anniversary of signing the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation,” reported Li Hongzhong.

The program of the seventh Russian-Chinese Small and Medium Business Forum includes thematic sections on the latest technologies in agriculture, digital technologies and artificial intelligence, trade and marketplaces, tourism, business education, and creative industries in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

“The Russian-Chinese partnership has stood the test of strength and today is developing at the level set by the leaders of our countries – Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. The economic results are impressive: in eight months, the trade turnover exceeded 185 billion dollars, showing a 28% increase compared to the same period last year. But the main thing is that cooperation goes beyond trade. More than 15,500 companies with Chinese founders or co-founders operate in Russia, with localization of production and industrial cooperation actively developing. All this creates a solid foundation for moving forward – towards a new quality of Russian-Chinese business partnership,” emphasized the chairman of the Russian part of the Russian-Chinese Cooperation and Development Mechanism, special representative of the President of Russia for relations with international organizations to achieve sustainable development goals, Boris Titov.

The organizer of the forum is the Russian-Chinese Committee of Friendship, Peace and Development with the support of the Chinese Committee for the Promotion of International Trade Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, the government of Moscow, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, and the “Opora Russia” association.

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