Alexander Shokhin on the II EFEF: "The dialogue between businesses in the two countries has been filled with new projects and contracts"

Alexander Shokhin, President of Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RUIE), delivered a video address at the opening of the II Eurasian Financial and Economic Forum "Eurasia: A Space of Trust and Sustainable Cooperation" in Shanghai. The RUIE President thanked the co-organizers of the forum, FBA EAC, the Association of Banks of Russia, and Mr. Li Shuobing personally, and noted the symbolism of the fact that the forum's coverage is provided by the Chinese government agency Xinhua for the second year in a row. According to Alexander Shokhin, despite the geopolitical turbulence of recent years, the dialogue between the business communities of the two countries has not only continued, but has also been enriched with new projects, contracts, and investment decisions. Russia and China continue to pursue a coordinated economic policy, coordinate their approaches to trade, investment, and technological standardization, and work together to build a fair and multipolar world order.

The RUIE head highlighted three priority areas where real progress is already being made. These include industrial cooperation and the creation of joint ventures (rather than just export-import operations), the introduction of high technologies, automation, and AI as a path to technological sovereignty, and the modernization of transport infrastructure and logistics, which are essential for further development of trade. Alexander Shokhin drew special attention to the fact that Chinese partners have launched the fifteenth five-year plan (2026-2030) with a focus on new productive forces, innovation, and scientific and technological self-sufficiency, which provides a specific area for cooperation in industries ranging from manufacturing to energy. As a practical result, he reported that the RUIE Committee on Technical Regulation and Standardization has reached an agreement with the China Electronics Standardization Institute and the China Electronics Association to establish a permanent working format for harmonizing standards.

Alexander Shokhin called for evaluating the effectiveness of the forum not by the number of signed memoranda, but by the in-depth study of issues and the removal of barriers to the promotion of specific projects. He emphasized the need to ensure the predictability of the business climate and regulatory environment, continue to eliminate restrictions that hinder cooperation, and launch new cooperative projects. In conclusion, the RUIE head addressed the forum participants with a proposal to formulate specific proposals from the business community based on the discussion, in order to send them to the governments of both countries for possible use during the upcoming visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the People's Republic of China.