China, Russia continue expanding cooperation in green development

A section between Tai'an, east China's Shandong province and Taixing, east China's Jiangsu province of the China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline project is under construction. (Photo from the website of PipeChina)

China and Russia are each other's largest neighbors and major emerging markets, and the cooperation between the two countries boasts strong resilience, ample potential and wide space.

Over the recent years, the two countries have constantly expanded their cooperation in green development, which not only benefits the two peoples, but also injects positive energy into regional and global development.

Russia's first electric vehicle plant, with a designed annual production capacity of 100,000 units, was put into operation in September 2022. Its spare parts are supplied by Chinese manufacturers.

At the end of 2022, the once-renowned carmaker Moskvich restarted production. Its major products are electric and hybrid vehicles. China is a main provider of new energy technologies for the Russian brand.

In recent years, Chinese auto manufacturing sector, new energy vehicle (NEV) technologies and carmakers have gained an increasingly high reputation in Russia. The automobile industry has gradually become a new highlight of China-Russia cooperation.

Migratory birds arrive at Xingkai Lake, the largest border lake between China and Russia. (Photo courtesy of the Heilongjiang Department of Culture and Tourism)

According to a sales manager surnamed Anashkin of a car dealer under a Chinese automaker in Moscow, the Chinese automaker's latest models were hitting the Chinese and Russian markets simultaneously, and the cars' appearance and performance are both competitive.

"Many models have been sold out. We only accept preorders now and are replenishing our inventory," he said.

The NEV sector, in which China enjoys technological advantages, will be one of the important fields of cooperation between China and Russia in the future.

Russian news agency Sputnik said in a report that China is promoting green development and the harmonious coexistence between human and nature, improving environmental protection through reducing pollution and implementing measures to protect and restore environment.

Citing Sergey Sanakoev, deputy chairman of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society, the report noted that China has been pursuing ecological progress in an increasingly active manner over the recent years, adding that the country takes concrete actions to improve the environment and is witnessing a significant rise in the production and supply of electric vehicles.

China's exports of vehicles and auto parts to Russia saw a big rise and the sales of Chinese vehicles in Russia kept expanding. There were 1,041 car dealers selling Chinese vehicles in Russia as the end of 2022.

A freight train carrying China-manufactured new energy vehicles departs from Guangzhou for Moscow, Jan. 12, 2023. (Photo courtesy of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of Guangdong Province)

Apart from expanding cooperation in the NEV sector, China and Russia are also taking joint efforts to promote green economy, pollution treatment and biodiversity conservation.

On Dec. 1, 2022, the committee for cross-border water quality inspection and coordination between China and Russia kicked off its 18th meeting. Both the Chinese and Russian sides vowed to make concerted efforts in joint actions of cross-border water quality inspection in 2023. The water quality along the border of the two countries has remained stable over the recent years, and the ecology environment in border areas has been gradually improved.

China and Russia will keep deepening cooperation on the protection of rare and endangered wildlife and migratory birds, enhance cooperation between nature reserves from the two sides, jointly build ecological corridors and carry out joint studies on giant panda protection and breeding.

Over the recent years, China and Russia have reaped fruitful results in regional ecological cooperation under multilateral frameworks, laying a solid foundation for maintaining regional ecological balance and sustainable development.

Kranina, a senior researcher with China Economic and Social Research Center, the Institute of the Far East of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told People's Daily that China has adopted a series of practical measures to develop green infrastructure, energy, transport and finance. "China's experience in sustainable development is worth learning from," she said.