On October 16, the 2nd China-Russia Innovation Dialogue co-sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and the Russian Ministry of Economic Development took place at the Skolkovo Innovation Center in Moscow. The event aimed at strengthening the strategic dialogue between the two countries in areas including innovation strategy and planning, innovation policy and mechanism and medium and micro-sized enterprise development and advancing pragmatic innovation and entrepreneurship cooperation between Chinese and Russian technology financing institutions, medium and micro-sized technology enterprises, science parks and incubators.

Zhang Jianguo, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology and Administrator of the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, and Sergey Gorkov, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia, attended the opening ceremony of the plenary session of the innovation dialogue. In his speech, Vice Minister Zhang Jianguo said that deepening China-Russia innovation dialogue will help advance the integration of technology, industry and finance, improve the innovation environment, pool innovation resources and achieve open, inclusive and mutually beneficial China-Russia innovation cooperation.

Sergey Gorkov said that Russia attaches great importance to Russia-China innovation cooperation. The Russian Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Science and Technology of China are in talks about the establishment of a “China-Russia Joint Fund for Science, Technology and Innovation”. “Russia and China have great potential for innovation cooperation. An important task of the two governments is to assist Russian and Chinese partners to fully realize the potential of innovation cooperation and achieve positive results.”

Nearly 100 representatives from central and local governments, universities, research institutes, high-tech parks, industrial alliances, investment institutions, technology transfer agencies and innovative enterprises in China and Russia discussed issues such as China-Russia technology innovation strategy and policy, China-Russia innovation cooperation, innovative industrial cluster policy and science and technology financing and shared ideas and suggestions for promoting China-Russia innovation cooperation and common development.

The two sides signed and issued the Joint Declaration of the Second China-Russia Innovation Dialogue and determined the 2019-2024 China-Russia Innovation Cooperation Work Plan (Roadmap).

In addition, Vice Minister Zhang Jianguo and Deputy Minister Sergey Gorkov attended the Third China-Russia Innovation Investment Forum, a side event of China-Russia Innovation Dialogue, and delivered speeches. In his speech, Zhang Jianguo pointed out that China and Russia are both technological innovation giants. China is vigorously implementing its innovation-driven development strategy. This is in line with Russia‘s innovation-centered modernization strategy. Both countries regard each other as opportunities for their own development. With China’s strengths in industry, capital and market and Russia’s strengths in resources, technology and talent combined, we will surely be able to achieve more positive results. Zhang said that “China welcomes Russian investment and innovation institutions to explore opportunities in China and compete with global capital, share the latest achievements in international economic development, and jointly create a bright future for China-Russia innovation investment cooperation and development.” 

The Ministry of Science and Technology of China and the Russian Ministry of Economic Development signed their Memorandum of Understanding on Innovation Cooperation in June 2016, officially launching the China-Russia Innovation Dialogue mechanism. In June 2017, the first China-Russia Innovation Dialogue was held in Beijing.