Region
22.10.2019
GOMEL, 22 October (BelTA) – A memorandum of intent to establish twinning links between Belarus' Gomel and China's Handan (Hebei Province) was signed at the meeting of Gomel Oblast Governor Gennady Solovei with a Chinese delegation on 22 October, BelTA has learned.
The document was signed by Gomel Mayor Piotr Kirichenko and Handan Deputy Mayor Wu Jinliang.
Gennady Solovei expressed confidence that the memorandum will facilitate mutually beneficial cooperation across multiple areas. All in all, Gomel Oblast is scaling up cooperation with China in many fields. “The focus is on economic cooperation and product supplies. This year we have increased export nearly 1.5 times,” he said. The region keeps working to boost export, for examples, beef supplies.
According to the governor, the partners should step up cooperation in the manufacturing sector, for example, between Gomselmash and Agricultural Machinery Industry Enterprise Jungshen-Gomel. Projects in tourism, culture and education hold a lot of promise, too.
Wu Jinliang upheld the proposals of the Belarusian side. He noted that the Chinese delegation will visit Gomselmash to discuss cooperation prospects. The Chinese official spoke highly of the joint project in mechanical engineering. In his words, powerful heavy-duty machinery is in demand in many regions of China.
According to the Gomel Oblast Executive Committee, in January-August 2019, the trade between Gomel Oblast and China expanded by 79% over the same period a year before. Gomel Oblast's main export items to China are wood pulp, whey powder, canned milk, skimmed milk powder, linen, copper and zinc based alloys. Gomel Oblast imports from China electric and electronic equipment, electric engines, machines and equipment, fabrics and threads, control devices and measuring equipment, and refractory materials. The volume of foreign direct investment from China amounted to $154,800 in January-June 2019.