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Attending the meeting on the Russian side were Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office, Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Maxim Oreshkin, Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the People’s Republic of China Igor Morgulov, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov and Minister of Transport Roman Starovoit.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Han Zheng, our Chinese colleagues and friends,

I am delighted to welcome all of you to Vladivostok.

I have very good memories of our recent joint work in Harbin, and I would like to thank you for your wholehearted approach to the instructions you received from the President of China on accompanying our delegation and for your active involvement in that cooperative effort.

In October 2024, we will mark 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries. That event had a profound impact on our bilateral relations and on development of modern China and our interstate ties.

As per our agreement, we hope to see President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping at the upcoming BRICS summit. I propose holding a bilateral meeting during that event.

Thanks to our joint efforts, relations between China and Russia have reached an unprecedented level. We attach great importance to interregional cooperation. I hope that during our meeting today and our work at the Eastern Economic Forum tomorrow, we will have the opportunity to explore and identify new areas for cooperation.

We are grateful to the President of the People’s Republic of China for sending such a substantial delegation to this forum. I would like to thank you for leading this delegation and for taking part in our joint work.

Welcome.

Vice President of the People's Republic of China Han Zheng (retranslated): Mr President, thank you very much for finding the time to meet with me.

I am happy to have the opportunity to come to Vladivostok for the 9th Eastern Economic Forum at your invitation. First of all, I would like to convey best regards and good wishes from President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping.

This year we will mark 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. The Chinese-Russian comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction continue to grow stronger in the new age under your and President Xi Jinping’s strategic guidance.

You have held two meetings with President Xi Jinping this year, and you have reached a number of vital agreements on the parameters of the further development of our bilateral relations in the new historical period, 75 years after the establishment of our diplomatic relations. China is ready to work comprehensively and diligently with our Russian partners to implement the important agreements reached by our leaders and to contribute to the continued improvement of our cooperation.

This time, I have come to Vladivostok for the Eastern Economic Forum at your invitation and on instructions from President Xi Jinping. Over the past years, your personal initiative and efforts have helped turn the Eastern Economic Forum into a key economic platform where all parties in the Asia-Pacific region can find consensus solutions and discuss cooperation. We highly appreciate the role and prestige of this platform. I wish you success in hosting the forum tomorrow.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.

Another aspect I would like to bring to your attention is that in addition to focusing on the economic and industrial development of the Far East, we also strive to establish significant centres of humanitarian and cultural cooperation here.

We are establishing subsidiaries of Russia’s leading world-class museums, theatres and musical venues here. I know that some performers who are popular with Chinese audiences have visited China many times, and have recently been on another tour. I hope that Vladivostok will also become a prominent hub for cultural exchanges and attract tourists from Russia, from all over the world and especially from China, which is our friend.

If you have 30 minutes, I invite you to see what we are building here, and you will learn more about additional opportunities in the cultural and humanitarian sphere.

Han Zheng (retranslated): Mr President, I fully agree with you on the importance of strengthening cultural and humanitarian cooperation between our two countries.

I believe that the development of Chinese-Russian relations and our diverse cooperation would not be possible without the guiding role of our leaders.

Despite the challenges and risks we currently face, cooperation between our countries continues to develop steadily in all areas under the strategic guidance of our leaders. This is particularly evident in the trade and economic sphere, which you devote great attention to. We have accomplished our objective earlier than planned, with bilateral trade volumes reaching $200 billion.

From 2018 to early 2023, while I was working at the State Council, I co-chaired, on instructions from President Xi Jinping, the Chinese section of the China-Russia intergovernmental commission on investment, trade and energy cooperation. This is why I have a good understanding of our cooperation.

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