In a recent interview with China.org.cn, Russian Ambassador to China Andrei Denisov elaborated his views on China's fast development and bilateral issues in various fields.

Russian Ambassador to China Andrei Denisov

Annual sessions of NPC and NPPCC

Speaking of the annual sessions of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) and the 12th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) to be held in March, Ambassador Denisov stated that he was most concerned about the Government Work Report to be delivered by Premier Li Keqiang, which will be a summary of the implementation of the social and economic development plan.

"Some of the main macroeconomic data is already published, so we are looking forward to the detailed explanation, as well as the content related to this year's development path, particularly related to such key indices as GDP growth."

Denisov said the Chinese government is obviously seeking an appropriate balance between continued rapid development and promoting structural reform. "Obviously, investment activities should be less than anticipated, so as to reduce credit risks. We are clear that this process should be moderate and controllable, and should not fluctuate too much."

"The GDP growth plan will probably be made on the basis of last year's growth rate, or the target may be lowered, in order to create a favorable environment for reform and reduce central and local financial pressures.

"The development of domestic demand is regarded as the main engine of both short-term and long-term economic development, and we will keep a close eye on all the policies related to this."

Denisov revealed that Russia is particularly interested in the development of new industries such as e-commerce, noting that the NPC has a working group especially for drafting related laws.

Strengthening the supervision of food safety was a symbolic task for the Chinese government at the end of last year. It further emphasized the importance of the relationship between rural and urban areas with the development of urbanization. "Perhaps, in the forthcoming annual NPC and CPPCC sessions, all these issues will be explained."

"I have noticed that many Russians working in China are also concerned about the country's reform and related laws and regulations. For example, last year the NPC Standing Committee adopted the Amendment to the Company Law (which is yet to come into effect) that has reduced the requirement for registered capital," said Denisov.

"What Russian enterprises are concerned about is that whether it will involve foreign-funded enterprises. They also hope that local governments will provide more legal aid to simplify the formalities of business engagement."

Bilateral partnership and multilateral exchanges

Speaking of the frequent high-level contacts between the two countries over the past year, Denisov highly praised Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent visit to Russia and his presence at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

"We were very pleased to see that Russia was the first country President Xi chose to visit for consecutive two years. This shows that both Russia and China have taken the development of bilateral relations as their key foreign policy and are positive about further deepening the bilateral partnership.

"The frequent and substantial contact between the top leaders of our two countries is proof of the maturity and special nature of Russia-China relations," he said.

Denisov predicted that 2014 would bring effective cooperation in various fields, including trade, education, science and technology and the military. "The two countries are preparing for the Russia-China Year of Youth Friendship Exchanges in 2014 and 2015," he noted.

Cooperation on trade and energy projects

Based on the Implementation Outline of China-Russia Good Neighborliness and the Friendship and Cooperation Treaty, the two countries will continue to diversify trade and increase trade volume, the ambassador predicted.

"The bilateral trade volume increased by 1.1 percent last year despite severe international economic challenges, and is expected to reach US$100 billion by 2015, the designated target," he said.

Denisov explained that the volume of oil and petroleum products accounted for more than 60 percent of Russian exports to China in 2013. "At the end of last year, Rosneft Oil and the China Petroleum Corporation implemented an agreement that Russia would increase the supply of 15 million tons of oil to China each year. In addition, negotiations on Russian gas supply to China are nearing completion."

Denisov said there were broad prospects for cooperation in high-tech fields, such as the peaceful use of nuclear energy and civil aviation.

Suifenhe -- the first ruble trading city in China

China has strengthened its economic ties with Russia since December last year by allowing the ruble to circulate unrestricted in Suifenhe, Heilongjiang Province. It is the first time that China has given a foreign currency the same legal status as the renminbi on its territory, underscoring the two nations' determination to forge a closer alliance.

Speaking of the significance of the decision, Denisov said,"we are very interested in how rubles are being used in the city."

The establishment of such a special area in Suifenhe was designed to meet the requirements of the city's economic development, signifying the high-level commercial and cultural exchanges between the Russian and Chinese people, the ambassador added.

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