Coupling One Belt One Road with Eurasian Economic Union to open new doors — Chinese envoy
MOSCOW, September 6. /TASS/. Efforts to link China’s marquee One Belt One Road initiative with projects by Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states will open up new opportunities for cooperation in transport and energy, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui told TASS.
"We believe that the coordination of the One Belt One Road initiative with the EAEU means new possibilities for our cooperation. First, we expand integrated cooperation in the area of transport and freight forwarding. Second, this of course touches upon the energy sector," he said. "You know that we have already built both gas pipelines and oil pipelines by now. New cross-border energy projects are being planned now as well. I think this facilitates our cooperation, particularly considering the current situation. This is especially very important for China and Russia," the diplomat added.
In this respect, the ambassador noted that, "today the majority of Russian energy products are supplied to China." He also noted the development of cooperation in the area of trade and investment. "A lot of new projects have appeared, and we are now coordinating in the areas of standards, for example, concerning the execution of payments for mutual settlements, which is also very important to us," Zhang said.
The diplomat also stressed that Sino-Russian cooperation is being stepped up in the humanitarian field. "Currently, Russia is becoming more attractive for Chinese students, and China is as well given that many Russian students are choosing to go to China" for their education, he emphasized.
"We welcome this growth and, of course, we believe that within the coordination of the One Belt One Road initiative with the EAEU we can find new possibilities, areas of common interest, and contacts for our cooperation," the ambassador said.
Zhang also emphasized that Beijing is ready to interact closely with Moscow on strengthening cooperation for coordination of the One Belt One Road initiative and stressed that Beijing firmly supports Russia’s efforts to reach its strategic development goals. Moreover, China is ready to make a joint contribution together with Russia toward "the formation of a multipolar world and the democratization of international relations, as well as to the cause of defending peace, security and strategic sustainability all across the world," he noted.
