China to further strengthen strategic energy cooperation with Russia: vice premier

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, reads out a congratulatory message of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and delivers a speech while attending the opening ceremony of the sixth China-Russia Energy Business Forum, in Moscow, Russia, July 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

MOSCOW, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Tuesday attended the opening ceremony of the 6th China-Russia Energy Business Forum in Moscow, pledging to further promote strategic cooperation in the energy field between the two countries.

He read a congratulatory letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping and delivered a speech at the ceremony.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, noted that President Xi's letter demonstrates the great importance he attaches to the forum.

Under the strategic guidance of President Xi and President Vladimir Putin, China-Russia energy cooperation has developed into a comprehensive, wide-ranging, deep, and high-level partnership, he said.

Back in May, the two heads of state held talks in Beijing and issued a joint statement on consolidating China-Russia strategic energy cooperation and achieving high-level development to ensure the economic and energy security of both countries, said Ding.

Both sides should further implement the important consensus reached by the leaders and build a closer energy cooperation partnership to better benefit both countries and their people, he added.

In his speech, Ding made three proposals on deepening China-Russia energy cooperation:

Firstly, the two sides should advance energy trade and investment cooperation, jointly promote the implementation of major energy projects, deepen cooperation in emerging areas such as renewable energy, hydrogen energy, and carbon markets, and cultivate more growth drivers for cooperation.

Secondly, the two countries should pragmatically expand mutually beneficial cooperation in the energy industry chain, strengthen the integrated cooperation of the energy industry's upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors, and elevate the level of collaboration between industry, academia, and research institutions in the energy sector.

Thirdly, China and Russia should strengthen coordination on multilateral platforms to promote the establishment of a fair, just, and balanced global energy governance system.

Ding noted that the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee was successfully convened and made systematic arrangements for further deepening reforms comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization.

He stressed that China will open itself ever wider to the outside world, and will offer more development opportunities to the world through its high-quality development.

Ding welcomed Russian enterprises to actively participate in China's modernization drive and achieve better development through shared opportunities.

Igor Sechin, executive secretary of the Russian presidential commission for the strategic development of the fuel and energy sector and environmental security, and chief of Russian oil company Rosneft, addressed the opening ceremony and read a congratulatory letter from President Putin. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak also delivered a speech.

The theme of this year's forum is "Deepening China-Russia Energy Cooperation, Promoting Energy Security and High-Quality Development."

The opening ceremony was attended by over 400 representatives from relevant departments and energy companies, financial institutions, research institutes, and industry associations from both China and Russia.