From August 16 to 23, 2017, COSC Vice Chairwoman Wang Hong led a delegation to visit Russia and Poland for think tank exchanges and study on China’s cooperation with Russia and Poland in development strategies in Belt and Road Initiative. Counsellors of the State Council Chen Quansheng and Tang Min, and Director General Sun Weijia of the Department of International Exchanges and Cooperation of the COSC were on the delegation.

In Russia, the delegation visited the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, the Institute of Economy, the Institute of the Far East of the Russian Academy of Sciences. They had exchanges with Russian experts on the Belt and Road Initiative, China-Russia economic cooperation and financial issues. The delegation also had a meeting with Chinese companies in Russia. Representatives from the China Development Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, China State Construction Engineering Corporation and Huawei talked about the experiences and challenges of Chinese companies in Russia, China-Russia financial cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative as well as financial service companies.

Meeting at the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies

Photo with Representatives of Chinese Companies

In Poland, the delegation visited the Polish Investment and Trade Agency and the Sobieski Institute. At the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, the Polish side briefed the delegation on their organization, responsibilities and the Poland-China Cooperation Center under the agency. The COSC delegation discussed issues in China-Poland investment and how to promote trade between the two countries. At the Sobieski Institute, the two sides exchanged views on think-tank exchanges as well as the opportunities and challenges of the Belt and Road Initiative. The delegation also had a meeting with the Bank of China (Luxemburg) to learn about the financial environment for China-Poland economic cooperation and the financial cooperation between the two countries.

Meeting at the Polish Investment and Trade Agency

Meeting with the Bank of China (Luxemburg)

The delegation also had meetings with Li Hui, China’s Ambassador to Russia, and Xu Jian, China’s Ambassador to Poland.