Resources of the Chinese Business Center showcased at SPIEF

On 19 June, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum was the scene of a meeting between members of the Russian and Chinese business communities, at which ExpoForum International and the Chinese Association of St. Petersburg discussed the work of the recently opened Chinese Business Centre.

The organisers of the event gathered together an interested group of Russian and Chinese businesspeople, as well as representatives of state structures, the scientific community and business associations. The Chinese side, aside from CBC partner and Chairman of the Chinese Association of St. Petersburg Chen Zhigang, was represented at the meeting by Ms. Tsai Guizhou – President of the Union of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Russia, President of “Greenwood” Business Park, and representatives of Chinese small and medium-sized business.

Chen Zhigang, Chairman of the Chinese Association of St. Petersburg, relayed that, in the two-and-a-half months since its opening, the CBC had received more than 30 Chinese delegations. For Chinese business, the opening of such a centre provides impetus for ramped-up activities in Russia. Alexei Kalashnik, Executive Director of the Russian-Chinese Business Council, noted that the Chinese Business Centre represents a long-awaited platform for the implementation of joint economic projects between Russia and China. He proposed augmenting the Centre’s list of tasks with the formation of delegations for participation in major events held in China.

Mikhail Penziev, First Deputy Chairman of the St. Petersburg Committee on Industrial Policy and Innovation, discussed the potential of the cities industrial sites in terms of Chinese participation in joint projects. According to Mr. Penziev, St. Petersburg currently has approximately 200 ha of available land, which the city is prepared to allot for industrial projects while helping with infrastructure.

An important issue in the area of cross-country cooperation is staffing. IgorMaximtsev, Rector of the St. Petersburg State University of Economics, underscored the significance of qualified staffing, announcing that the university was addressing the issue and training high-caliber professionals with an advanced level of Chinese-language proficiency.

Sergei Voronkov, General Director of ExpoForum International, is confident that the Chinese Business Centre will emerge as a single-wicket for cooperation among Russian and Chinese small and medium-sized business. “Above and beyond the achievement of business goals – the hosting of conferences, meetings, consultations and presentations – we want to create a reliable base permeated with the unique atmosphere of China, showcasing the country’s cultural, medical and gastronomic traditions”, explained Sergei Georgievich.

An important outcome of the meeting was an agreement on the opening of a chapter of the Union of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Russia, to be based at the Chinese Business Centre.