More than 200 companies and government delegations from China will come to Kazan for the SPROUTS Forum

The scale of Chinese delegations’ participation in the International Forum “SPROUTS: Russia and China – Mutually Beneficial Cooperation” is growing year by year. Over 200 Chinese companies are expected to participate in the business programme. Government delegations from eight regions and territories of China have also confirmed their participation. These include the provinces of Shaanxi, Heilongjiang, Fujian, Sichuan, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, as well as representatives from Chongqing and other regions.

Deputy governors of Chinese provinces, heads of regional governments, and representatives of business associations and organisations responsible for the development of international trade are among honoured guests. For example, Vice Governor of Shaanxi Province Wu Wengang and Vice Governor of Heilongjiang Province Zhang Qixiang will be visiting Kazan, along with representatives from other regions.

This representation reflects the growing interest of Chinese businesses in Russian regions and Tatarstan, as one of the most active platforms for Russian-Chinese cooperation and a leader in strengthening interregional Russian-Chinese relations. Between 2015 and 2025, Tatarstan’s trade turnover with China increased more than 12-fold, from $264.3 million to $3.35 billion. As a comparison, trade between Russia and China increased 3.8-fold over the same period.

This year, the SPROUTS business programme will focus on eight key areas: trade, logistics, finance, energy, technology, industry, and agriculture. The participation of a large number of Chinese companies will allow for discussions of cooperation not only at the regional and government levels, but also directly between entrepreneurs, investors, and technology companies.

Major Chinese corporations and industry associations, such as Baidu and Baidu AI Cloud, China Railway Construction Corporation International, China National Chemical Engineering Corporation (CNCEC), China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), China International Marine Containers (CIMC), China Eastern Airlines, Sinopharm-CMDC, China Railway Construction, as well as representatives from the technology and transportation sectors are among the participants.

Particular emphasis is placed on high-tech industries. Representatives of the Shenzhen Artificial Intelligence Industry Association, the Shenzhen UAV Industry Association, the Shenzhen Urban Transport Planning Center, Genew Technologies, and other organisations will come to Kazan. This will allow them to discuss joint projects in artificial intelligence, unmanned technologies, industrial automation, digitalisation, transportation, and manufacturing.

A key part of the Forum will be direct business meetings and B2B negotiations, which give Russian companies the opportunity not only to present their projects to Chinese partners but also to identify specific areas for cooperation, from supply chains to joint ventures. Such meetings can be scheduled through the official forum application, available to all participants.

China’s presence will also be noticeable in the Forum’s media coverage. Representatives from 15 leading Chinese media outlets have already registered for the SPROUTS Forum, including Xinhua News Agency, Phoenix TV China, Caixin Global, China Business Herald, Shenzhen News Group, China Internet Information Center, Weibo, Jiemian News, Hunan Daily, and other publications and media platforms. Shanghai Daily is the Forum’s first media partner, and China Russia Media is the official international digital partner.

Growing international participation also reflects the Forum’s overall momentum. Over the past three years, Tatarstan has also expanded its interaction with Russian regions and Chinese administrative-territorial entities: 68 Russian regions and 28 Chinese administrative divisions are already involved in the interregional cooperation network.

“This year, we see maximum engagement from the Chinese side: even more government delegations from key regions of China will be attending the Forum. This is a truly unique opportunity for Russian businesses – to hold numerous direct meetings in a short period of time, meet potential partners, present their projects, and establish new business relationships. This is exactly why the SPROUTS Forum was created – in order to translate regional cooperation into specific business projects, investments, and joint ventures,” noted Taliya Minullina, Chief Executive of the Tatarstan Investment Development Agency.

*****
The International Forum “SPROUTS: Russia and China – Mutually Beneficial Cooperation” will be held in Kazan on 16-19 August.

The business programme includes such areas as interstate dialogue, creative economy, medicine, industry, education, business and entrepreneurship, business associations, finance and investment, culture, media, law, transport, agriculture, tourism, and construction.

The SPROUTS Business Forum confirmed its high status by receiving the EFEA Awards and becoming a laureate and finalist of the prestigious International Russian Event Awards.

ANO “Directorate of International Programmes” acts as an operator for the preparation and holding of the SPROUTS Forum.

Official website of the SPROUTS Forum.