A Russian art troupe performs traditional dance at the 2018 Sino-Russia Artist Great Gala in Harbin on Sept. 6, 2018, during which Chinese and Russian artists present a grand cultural feast for the audience. (Photo from Harbin Daily)

Artists from China and Russia gathered at Volga Manor in northeastern China’s city of Harbin on September 6 for a gala, lighting up the passion of the Harbin people with their classic performance, and leaving an indelible mark on the people-to-people friendly exchanges between the two countries.

The event came as both 2018 and 2019 mark the years of China-Russia local cooperation and exchange. Under the efforts of Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, local exchanges between the two countries have been further expanded and deepened, becoming a new focus of China-Russia cooperation.

In addition, more and more people are hoping for generations of friendship between China and Russia and their common rejuvenation.

“The close collaboration between Chinese and Russian artists was a highlight and breakthrough of the performance,” Sun Bin, chief director of the 2018 Sino-Russia Artist Great Gala, told People’s Daily.

“Though the artists speak different languages, they are bonded together by art. Through cooperation and exchange, they saw the glamour of each other’s culture. I think this mutual learning was also presented to the audience,” Sun said, adding that mutual understanding between different cultures was enhanced after face-to-face communication.

After singing an original song titled “Father” in Chinese, Russian singer Peter Kazakov received warm applause from the audience.

“My father loves Chinese culture. Because of him I learnt Chinese by myself,” the young singer said, adding that the song was a present to his father and it also symbolized his love and respect for Chinese culture.

“As a singer, I’m honored to have this opportunity to help promote understanding and exchange between people of China and Russia through music,” he noted.

The China-Russia youth innovation and entrepreneurship base in the Harbin New Area is now home to 35 Chinese and Russian enterprises since it was launched in June 2017. China’s first China-Russia cross-border financial service center to boost two-way circulation of banknotes of rouble and yuan locates there.

The area provides a comprehensive platform to facilitate the living and working of Chinese and Russian young entrepreneurs by offering them an easy access of company registration, and opening bilingual experimental schools for easier schooling of Russian students.

So far, Harbin has established sister city relationships with 6 Russian cities, and developed friendly partnerships with 15 Russian oblasts. Under joint efforts, China-Russia local exchange and cooperation has basically achieved full coverage of both domains and regions.

China and Russia’s Far East region enjoy fast growing trade, burgeoning investment cooperation, prosperous interconnectivity projects and enhanced people-to-people exchanges.

China and Russia have set up cooperation mechanisms to coordinate the development in regions along China's Yangtze River and Russia's Volga River, as well as China's northeast region and the Russian Far East.

More than 130 pairs of sister provinces/oblasts and cities have been established. The expanded China-Russia local cooperation is yielding fruitful results.

“I’m looking forward to the future,” said the lead singer of the Turetsky Women’s Choir, who was born in Harbin and has a strong attachment toward China.

“The Chinese people are striving for the Chinese dream, and the Russian people are also firmly marching toward national rejuvenation. Thanks to the traditional China-Russia friendship and close cooperation, there will be more possibilities for me to realize my dream,” she told People’s Daily.

The lead singer hopes to take art as a bridge, and contribute to China-Russia friendship while realizing personal goals.