Vice Minister Zhang Zhili met with Oleg Kozhemyako, Governor of Primorsky Krai, Russia, in Vladivostok on Aug. 28. They exchanged views on advancing the establishment of the China-Russia pilot demonstration zone for agricultural cooperation, among other topics. 

Vice Minister Zhang noted that the establishment of the China-Russia pilot demonstration zone for agricultural cooperation represents an important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries. The two sides have reached agreement on the content of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) outlining the zone’s development, which is to be signed at an appropriate time.Vice Minister Zhang called for enhanced coordination upon the signing of the MOU to accelerate the zone’s establishment and operation, so as to achieve tangible results at an early date. 

Vice Minister Zhang underscored that China encourages and supports competent enterprises to participate in the zone’s development, and expressed the hope that the Primorsky Krai Government will leverage policy platforms such as the Advanced Special Economic Zone (ASEZ) to provide robust support for Chinese agricultural enterprises. This includes facilitation in areas such as tariffs, subsidies, labor, financing, and infrastructure—covering water, electricity, and roads—as well as investment protection. He urged the creation of a sound business environment to enable more mutually beneficial results in bilateral agricultural cooperation. 

Governor Kozhemyako remarked that the leaders of both countries attach high importance to bilateral agricultural cooperation, and reaffirmed Primorsky Krai’s support for expanding agricultural and economic engagement with China. He acknowledged the significant role of Chinese agricultural enterprises in local investment and expressed confidence that the Russia-China pilot demonstration zone for agricultural cooperation in Primorsky Krai will achieve strong growth. He expressed that the regional government will actively support enterprises operating in the zone through preferential measures consistent with international high-standard trade and economic rules, including those applied under the ASEZ framework.