Tatarstan delegation visits Chinese provinces on working trip

The regional delegation was led by Rustam Minnikhanov, Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan. The centrepiece of the programme was Hefei (Anhui Province), one of the country’s key industrial and technology hubs.

During the visit, talks were held with the leadership of Anhui Province. The parties discussed expanding cooperation in industry, IT, logistics and the humanitarian sphere. It was noted that China is already Tatarstan’s key foreign investor, with Chinese investment accounting for over 60 % of the total foreign investment in the republic for 2025.

Special attention was given to technological cooperation, and the delegation explored opportunities for industrial collaboration. In particular, representatives of the republic toured production sites of Chinese automakers and discussed prospects for joint projects in mechanical engineering.

As part of the trip, a meeting was also held with Wang Zhonglin, Secretary of the Communist Party of China Committee of Hubei Province. The parties highlighted the effectiveness of the “Volga–Yangtze” format as a tool for interregional cooperation, enabling direct contacts between businesses and government bodies and facilitating the exchange of experience in industry, education and digitalisation.

It was noted that Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, is one of China’s leading technology centres, known as the “Optical Valley of China”, where cutting‑edge developments in telecommunications, medicine and high‑precision technologies are concentrated. The sides also stressed the importance of developing humanitarian ties, including cooperation between Kazan Federal University and Wuhan‑based universities, and discussed the prospect of launching direct air services.

Speaking at the Tatarstan–Hubei Business Forum, Rustam Minnikhanov noted that one of the promising platforms for developing cooperation between China and Russia is the international forum “SPROUTS: Russia and China — Mutually Beneficial Cooperation”. He invited delegations from the province to participate in the forum, which will be held in Kazan in August 2026.

Photo: Website of the Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan