Business news

MOGILEV, 12 September (BelTA) – In January-July 2017 Mogilev Oblast more than doubled its export to China to nearly $3.5 million. Chairman of the Economy Committee of the Mogilev Oblast Executive Committee Ruslan Strakhar made the statement as he met with Chen Daqing, Deputy Director of the high-tech industrial development zone of the city of Changsha, China’s Hunan Province, on 12 September, BelTA has learned.

According to Ruslan Strakhar, Mogilev Oblast’s relations with China are developing fast. In January-July 2017 the bilateral trade rose by nearly 28%. Mogilev Oblast’s export more than doubled while import from China rose by 20%. “For now Mogilev Oblast has a deficit in its foreign trade with China. Yet we are not afraid because technological equipment represents the bulk of the import from China. The equipment is shipped to Mogilev Oblast industrial enterprises, which are busy implementing a number of retooling projects,” said the official.

The main exports to China include furniture, which shipments more than quadrupled, tires (30% up), and raw flax. “We also feel optimism about the successful development of our relations because we start exporting new commodities. Those are primarily food: milk and cream, drinking water and mineral water, beer,” said Ruslan Strakhar. He remarked that the establishment of a joint venture in Mogilev by the Chinese company Zoomlion was an important step in the advancement of the bilateral cooperation. “We are confident that it is just the start in the implementation of concrete projects. We have a lot of them and a lot of proposals on advancing the mutually beneficial cooperation,” stressed the chairman of the Economy Committee of the Mogilev Oblast Executive Committee.

Ruslan Strakhar suggested advancing cooperation in such strategic areas as mechanical engineering, production of agricultural products and their processing, production of fertilizers and fodder additives using local raw materials. “But it does not mean that we should only advance our relations in economy. We are also interested in cooperation in culture, sport, and in the active development of tourism. They will only contribute to stronger mutual relations and friendship between the nations,” stressed Ruslan Strakhar.

In turn, Chen Daqing noted that the Changsha High-Tech Industrial Development Zone is strongly interested in cooperation with Mogilev Oblast. “We can find a lot of contact points in various spheres here. We can implement concrete projects in the future,” he remarked. “Suffice it to say that the Changsha High-Tech Industrial Development Zone is the country’s leader in many parameters in comparison with other development zones in China. Over 18,000 various companies operate in the development zone. Their annual turnover is close to Ґ480 billion.”

The Chinese delegation intends to get familiar with opportunities in and development prospects of the technology park Mogilev and the free economic zone Mogilev. Members of the delegation will visit a number of industrial enterprises in the oblast capital. A Mogilev Oblast delegation intends to visit Changsha and the Changsha High-Tech Industrial Development Zone in late September 2017.