Russian President Vladimir Putin attended Friday an expo in Harbin, northeastern China, which showcases companies from his and the host country, in a bid to boost bilateral economic ties amid Western sanctions on Moscow imposed in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
Putin, who is on a two-day state visit to China, agreed with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Thursday in Beijing to expand trade and investment between the two countries, deepening cooperation in various sectors including energy, artificial intelligence and agriculture.
The Russian leader is being accompanied at the expo by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, according to Russia's Tass news agency.
The expo, the eighth of its kind, was first held in 2014. It serves as a platform for Chinese and Russian businesses to build contacts and sign agreements.
Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang Province, which borders Russia, and many Russian companies operate in the region.
According to the Chinese Commerce Ministry, the expo has overseen the signing of business deals totaling 446.8 billion yuan ($61.8 billion) over the past decade.
China, which opposes the Western sanctions on Moscow, has increased trade with Russia. It has ramped up exports of items including vehicles and imports such as crude oil and liquefied natural gas.
In 2023, bilateral trade exceeded $240 billion, an all-time high.
