The opening ceremony of the jubilee Forum featured speeches by Ding Xuexiang, Vice Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, Secretary General of the Russian Federation Presidential Commission for Strategic Development of the Fuel and Energy Sector and Environmental Security, the Chief Executive Officer of Rosneft Igor Sechin, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Novak, as well as Dai Houliang, Chairman of the Board of Directors of China National Petroleum Corporation, and others.

About 400 people took part in the RCEBF events including policymakers, representatives of over 100 major Russian and Chinese companies from various industries, scientists, academicians, experts and analysts.

Photo: the RCEBF

The highly intensive two-day program included an opening ceremony that brought together the top political leaders of Russia and China, sessions on strengthening of the Russian-Chinese cooperation in various business areas, technology tours to Chinese research institutes, as well as topic-specific roundtables.

Bilateral meetings between companies of the two countries were held on the sidelines of the Forum, and about 20 agreements were signed.

The Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Chinese President Xi Jinping sent greetings to the participants of the RCEBF. It was to follow up the agreements of the leaders of the two countries that the Forum has been held annually since 2018.

In his greeting, Vladimir Putin emphasized that comprehensive partnership relationships and strategic cooperation between Russia and China have reached an unprecedentedly high level and are rapidly developing. One of the key components of these relationships is energy cooperation which is becoming ever more vigorous and diverse. According to the head of the state, the Russian-Chinese Energy Business Forum plays a significant role in promoting mutually beneficial cooperation.

In his message, Xi Jinping emphasized that through years of efforts, China and Russia have established a comprehensive, multi-sectoral, multi-tiered and high-level structure of cooperation in the energy industry. Cooperation between China and Russia plays an important role in ensuring energy security and sustainable development of the two countries and the world, he added.

Photo: the RCEBF

"Looking ahead, China is ready to work with Russia to build a high-level energy cooperation partnership, continuously enhance the resilience of the energy industry supply chain, and make greater contributions to the long-term, healthy, stable and sustainable development of the global energy market and the building of a global partnership for clean energy cooperation," the Chinese President said.

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang put forward three proposals to further deepen Chinese-Russian energy cooperation. In his opinion, the two countries should continue to pursue vigorous development of energy infrastructure ties, strengthen cooperation in renewable energy and low-carbon development, and forcefully defend the openness and interconnectivity of the global energy market.

Photo: the RCEBF

As Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin highlighted in his speech, the companies participating in the RCEBF collectively account for more than 45% of trade volume between Russia and China. "For our countries, the transition to a fairer world order is taking place under severe external pressure and it requires a new approach to our own development based on the domestic economic growth which is the top priority for us. Our countries are steadily moving towards modernization, strengthening of their national security and achievement of self-sufficiency in the field of technology," he said.

According to Sechin, Russia aims to strengthen and deepen cooperation with China along the entire value-added chain in the energy industry and related areas including technology, equipment supplies and project financing. "I am confident that our cooperation has a huge potential, and we are in the very beginning of its realization," Sechin added.

Photo: the RCEBF

Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Novak said that Russia sees a high potential for increasing energy supplies to China. "Energy is one of the key areas of our cooperation. For many years, Russia has been a reliable partner to our friends ensuring energy security. Russian exports of energy products to China have grown 17% year-on-year," Novak said.

On the first day of the Forum, the participants were given technology tours. At the headquarters of CNPC Corporation's Engineering and Research Institute the RCEBF participants were introduced to a wide range of tools, instruments and a variety of equipment. CNPC's Kunlun Digital Technology Company presented the latest achievements in the areas of oil and gas field intellectualization and digitalization of processes throughout the production chain and in industrial safety.

On the second day of the RCEBF, round tables were held on nuclear power, high-tech coal mining, energy security and energy transition.

The Forum is held under the auspices of the Russian Federation Presidential Commission for Strategic Development of the Fuel and Energy Sector and Environmental Security and the State Energy Administration of the People's Republic of China, and is co-organized by Rosneft Oil Company and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

The next Sixth Russian-Chinese Energy Business Forum will be held in 2024 in Russia.

Rosneft
Information Division
October 21, 2023