The Russia-Zibo Economic and Trade Discussion Conference was held in Zibo city in East China's Shandong province on Aug 5 with the aim of strengthening bilateral cooperation between Zibo and the Republic of Buryatia, Russia.

The conference witnessed the signing of a strategic cooperation framework agreement between the export support center of Buryatia and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Zibo Committee.

The Russia-Zibo Economic and Trade Discussion Conference is held in Zibo. [Photo/WeChat account: zibofabu2014]

The Russian delegation to the conference, which was made up of representatives from international trade and energy companies in Buryatia, had in-depth exchanges with key figures from Zibo's business community.

The conference covered a wide range of topics, including timber, large-scale international logistics transportation, coal, pharmaceuticals, food, and tourism. Forty-five companies from Zibo's light industry, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, heavy machinery, and other vital sectors participated in the conference.

According to Zibo Customs, Russia is the second-largest trading partner of the city. In 2022, the total import and export trade volume between Zibo and Russia grew 65.8 percent year-on-year to 15.85 billion yuan ($2.22 billion). Exports amounted to 2.54 billion yuan, while imports totaled 13.31 billion yuan.