Entrepreneurs from the Chinese capital of Beijing and Russia's Moscow crowded into a trade fair which started in Moscow Thursday to seek out business opportunities and partnerships in Russia.

A total of 19 Chinese companies and about 70 Russian firms took part in the trade event and were expected to sign contracts on petrochemicals, construction materials, security equipment, garments and tea products.

The trade fair, as well as a tourism promotion exhibition, was part of the "Week of Beijing" in Moscow, a reciprocal theme event to last year's "Week of Moscow" in Beijing.

"Those events will help Russians, especially Muscovites, to learn more about Chinese history and culture, promote cooperation between the business circles and serve to the development of relations between we two cities and two countries," Beijing Mayor Wang Qishan said at the opening ceremony of the event.

Trade between Beijing and Russia surged from US$3.4 billion in 2001 to US$8.6 billion last year. Russian tourists visiting Beijing also nearly tripled from 2002 to hit 150,014 people in 2006, Beijing municipal figures show.

(Xinhua News Agency June 29, 2007)