Two sessions send positive signal to world, official says

China's two sessions, a major political event, have sent a positive message to the world and will help promote global economic growth, a Russian official says.

Artyom Semyonov, executive secretary of the Russian part of the Interregional Council of the Russian-Chinese Friendship, Peace and Development Committee, said he paid a lot of attention to the two sessions every year because the weeklong event provides the world with an opportunity to learn more about China and to observe the direction of the country's development.

Semyonov said this year he was particularly interested in the Government Work Report, the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and the long-range objectives until 2035.

The Chinese government's setting an annual GDP target of more than 6 percent was exciting, he said, reflecting the confidence of the country's leadership in its economic growth. Last year China was the only major economy to achieve growth.

"I see a positive signal sent by the two sessions this year, and it will have a positive influence on global economic growth," Semyonov said.

The Government Work Report talked of broader, wider and deeper opening-up. Last year trade between China and Russia was highly resilient, helped by vibrant cross-border e-commerce, China-Europe freight trains and other activities, which demonstrated that China is a reliable partner, Semyonov said.

The 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) focuses on the development of China's economy and society, which may present more opportunities for Sino-Russian economic collaboration, he said. The plan covers issues such as expanding the middle-income group and reducing disparities in urban-rural development.

"Obviously these measures will bring a bigger middle-class group to China," Semyonov said, adding that the new, larger middle-class will raise consumption, thus providing more markets for Russian agricultural products in China.

Innovation to the fore

This year has been designated as the China-Russia Year of Innovation, and the 14th Five-Year Plan emphasizes the importance of innovation, too. Over the next five years, China and Russia will have huge potential to work together on technological innovation, Semyonov said.

Semyonov, also an adviser with Moscow Oblast, said collaboration between China and Russia has had a positive impact on many regions in the Moscow Oblast in recent years. Objectives laid out until 2035 would help implement more projects in the region under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, he said.