英闻天下——430 China and Russia Expect Deeper Economic Ties

 　　Chinese president Xi Jinping will pay a visit to Russia later this week in his first overseas visit after being elected as the country's president.

 

　　The visit also shines a spotlight¹ on bilateral² economic and trade relations between the two countries, which are expected to deepen and grow in the future.

 

　　Wang Lei has more.

 

　　This year is the "Year of Chinese Tourism" in Russia, which introduces China to Russian tourists, with about 300 theme events being held throughout the year.

 

　　Tourism has been an important part in the bilateral exchanges between the two countries, aiming to boost exchanges and understanding regarding culture, society and history.

 

　　Pavel Fedortsov, a young Russian, is one of those who are willing to come to China for travel.

 

　　"For me, everything about China is amazing, and I believe everyone can find something interesting. Some people like the delicious food, some like ancient Chinese architecture, history, calligraphy³ and painting. In a word, China is attractive in every aspect."

 

　　Some Chinese provinces have also become pioneers in welcoming Russian tourists, including Hainan in south China, which has many holiday resorts because of its tropical climate and beautiful scenery.

 

　　During the past few years, Hainan has changed its tourism policy to make it easier for Russian tourists to visit and stay longer. Hainan also relaxed a restriction⁴ on the number of people in tourist groups from Russia and extended the visit time without a visa for Russian tourists.

 

　　This attracts many Russian tourists like Pavel Fedortsov.

 

　　"I have been thinking about going to Hainan. It is on my tour plan. I have a holiday in May, and I will go then."

 

　　Wang Zhifa, Vice⁵ Chairman of China's National Tourism Administration, says the country will provide more services to foreign tourists. Russian tourists could also benefit more from such policy.

 

　　"In some mature travel markets and regions, we have implemented⁶ a visa-free entry policy. More provinces and regions will start offering such policies, making it more convenient for foreign tourists who come to China."

 

　　Looking at the bigger picture, China and Russia not only cooperate closely in tourism, but in a variety of areas in the economic and trade sector⁷.

 

　　China is now Russia's biggest trading partner, and Russia is a major trading partner of China.

 

　　According to China's General Administration of Customs, the bilateral trade between China and Russia reached 88 billion U.S. dollars last year, an increase of 11 percent compared to the previous year.

 

　　Meanwhile, Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization at the end of 2011 is expected to reduce tariffs⁸ and take its bilateral trade with China to a higher level.

 

　　Particularly, energy cooperation is a highlight between the world's leading energy supplier, Russia, and consumer, China.

 

　　Tao Wenzhao, Senior Fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, elaborates.

 

　　"Russia is one of the largest oil exporters in the world. But, actually, Russia mainly exports energy to Europe, so Russia wants to diversify⁹ its exports destinations. And in China, we import a lot of energy, but our energy, more than 50 percent, is imported from the Gulf¹⁰ region and then from Africa, so oil imported from Russia is less than 10 percent. But it's also important, and we have a lot of potential to develop."

 

　　Last December, China and Russia signed a couple of agreements on energy cooperation, following the ninth China-Russia energy negotiators' meeting.

 

　　The two sides signed a memorandum¹¹ of understanding to cooperate in an energy market assessment¹², a roadmap for working together in the coal sector, as well as deals on coal and electricity supplies.

 

　　The two countries also made progress on further expanding their coal and power trade, energy reservation research, and promoting the application of renewable energy.

 

　　For example, Russia's Karakan Invest and the China Coal Mining Construction Group plan to build a coalmine with annual capacity of three to four million tones in Kemerovo, Russia.

 

　　Karakan Invest Board Chairman Georgy Kransnyansky says because Russian coal exports to Europe compete with exports from Qatar and the U.S., Russia has turned to the Asia Pacific, especially China. As the two countries are neighbors, cooperation in the coal trade would be very convenient.

 

　　Dmitri Trenin, Director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, believes that in Russian President Vladimir Putin's mind, China can play a very important role in Russia's current economic strategy of getting closer to the Asia Pacific.

 

　　"I think he firstly is very much focused on the development of Russia's interests in the Far East and Siberia, the regions that are adjacent to China, bringing Russia back to the Pacific, making Russia's presence in Asia. Those things are uppermost in his mind. China, of course, takes a very important place."

 

　　Some Russian experts say China has advantages in building or upgrading infrastructure¹³, such as increasing railway capabilities¹⁴ for energy transport and trade.

 

　　Wang Dongguang, Chairman of the Development and Reform Commission of Heilongjiang, China's most northeastern province that borders Russia, also believes cross-border infrastructure is important.

 

　　"This is the channel for bilateral trade between China and Russia. It used to be a bottleneck¹⁵ that affecting trade. To solve this problem, China and Russia have been negotiating on key issues to cooperate."

 

　　Heilongjiang's trade with Russia accounts for a quarter of the total Sino-Russian trade volume, and Russia has been Heilongjiang's largest trade partner.

 

　　According to the Bureau of Commerce in Heilongjiang, in January this year, the trade volume between Heilongjiang and Russia reached 1.76 billion U.S. dollars.

 

　　Wang Dongguang says with the rising quantity, the current trade structure is also different from the one in the past.

 

　　"The structure of imports and exports is changing. We used to export low value-added products like clothes, but now we export agricultural products and electronic machines."

 

　　Heilongjiang will deepen its trade relations with Russia to seek more common interests.

 

　　"If we can find more common interests, then we can reach more agreements. The economic and trade cooperation during the past three decades shows that we both have demands for each other. In the future, we will step up the cooperation in high-tech¹⁶ and high value-added products. I believe there is much we can do."

 

　　China and Russia have set their target for bilateral trade at 100 billion U.S. dollars by 2015 and 200 billion dollars by 2020. The two countries are optimistic about future economic development in sectors¹⁷ like tourism and energy where they expect greater high-tech cooperation.

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

3 calligraphy   

n.书法

参考例句：

• At the calligraphy competition,people asked him to write a few characters.书法比赛会上，人们请他留字。
• His calligraphy is vigorous and forceful.他的书法苍劲有力。

4 restriction   

n.限制，约束

参考例句：

• The park is open to the public without restriction.这个公园对公众开放，没有任何限制。
• The 30 mph speed restriction applies in all built-up areas.每小时限速30英里适用于所有建筑物聚集区。

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

7 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

8 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

9 diversify   

v.（使）不同，（使）变得多样化

参考例句：

• Our company is trying to diversify.我们公司正力图往多样化方面发展。
• Hills and woods diversify the landscape.山陵和树木点缀景色。

10 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

11 memorandum   

n.备忘录，便笺

参考例句：

• The memorandum was dated 23 August,2008.备忘录上注明的日期是2008年8月23日。
• The Secretary notes down the date of the meeting in her memorandum book.秘书把会议日期都写在记事本上。

12 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

13 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

14 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

15 bottleneck   

n.瓶颈口，交通易阻的狭口；妨生产流程的一环

参考例句：

• The transportation bottleneck has blocked the movement of the cargo.运输的困难阻塞了货物的流通。
• China's strained railroads already become a bottleneck for the economy.中国紧张的铁路运输已经成为经济增长的瓶颈。

16 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

17 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》