A Russian official indicated that Moscow and Beijing have prepared more than 90 joint investment projects worth more than $150 billion for their implementation, which will give a strong boost to trade and economic relations between the two countries.

This came according to what was stated by the representative of the Russian trade to China, Alexei Dakhnovsky, yesterday, Wednesday, during his participation in the Forum for the Development of Chinese Enterprises Abroad, held during the China International Fair for Investment and Trade.

The official pointed out that by 2020, the accumulated Chinese direct investment in the Russian economy reached the level of 12.8 billion dollars, stressing that the implementation of new projects may lead to a doubling of this indicator.

Dkhanovsky also praised the prospects for the growth of bilateral trade. According to him, the trade volume between Russia and China in the first half of the year reached the level of 63 billion dollars, an increase of 28.2% compared to the previous year.

By 2024, Russia and China intend to raise their trade exchange to $200 billion.

Japan can now give defense equipment and technology to Vietnam under an agreement signed Saturday, as the two countries step up their military cooperation amid worries about China’s growing military influence.

Japan’s Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said the deal elevates their defense partnership “to a new level” and that Japan and Vietnam plan to deepen defense ties through multinational joint exercises and other means. Details about the transfer of specific equipment, including naval vessels, will be worked out in subsequent talks, the ministry said.

Kishi’s meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart, Phan Van Giang, in Hanoi coincided with a two-day visit to the Vietnamese capital by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. He wrapped up his visit by saying China plans to donate 3 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine to Vietnam.

The agreement comes two weeks after the U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris travelled to Vietnam to strengthen ties with the Southeast Asian nation. During the tour, Harris urged countries to stand up against “bullying” by China in the South China Sea.

Japan’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that Kishi and Giang agreed on the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as cooperation in various defense areas including cybersecurity.

Tokyo regularly protests the Chinese coast guard’s presence near the Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands, which China also claims and calls Diaoyu. Japanese officials say Chinese vessels routinely violate Japanese territorial waters around the islands, sometimes threatening fishing boats.

During the talks, Kishi expressed Japan’s strong opposition to “any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by coercion or any activities that escalate tensions,” referring to China’s increasingly assertive activity in the East and South China Sea, but without identifying any country by name.

Vietnam is the 11th nation with which Japan has signed a defense equipment and technology transfer deal. Tokyo is looking to expand military cooperation beyond its longtime ally the United States, and has signed similar agreements with Britain, Australia, the Philippines and Indonesia.

قال مسؤول روسي أن موسكو وبكين أعدتا أكثر من 90 مشروعًا استثماريًا مشتركًا بقيمة تزيد عن 150 مليار دولار.

أكد ممثل التجارية الروسية لدى الصين أليكسي داكنوفسكي أن الاستثمارات الصينية المباشرة المتراكمة في الاقتصاد الروسي بلغت بحلول العام 2020 مستوى 12.8 مليار دولار.

وقعت اليابان يوم السبت على اتفاقية مع فيتنام لتزويد فيتنام بمعدات وتكنولوجيا دفاعية، وذلك بهدف توثيق تعاون البلدين الدفاعي استعداداً لمواجهة أي تعاظم للنفوذ الصين العسكري.

وقال وزير الدفاع الياباني نوبو كيشي بعد مناقشات مع نظيره الفيتنامي فان جيانغ في هانوي، إن الاتفاق يرفع الشراكة الدفاعية بين البلدين إلى “مستوى جديد”، مضيفا أن اليابان وفيتنام تخططان لتعميق العلاقات الدفاعية عبر مناورات عسكرية مشتركة متعددة الجنسيات وسبل أخرى.

وأضافت وزارة الدفاع اليابانية أنه من المقرر بحث خطوات نقل العتاد بما فيه سفن بحرية لفيتنام في مرات لاحقة.

من جانبه، احتجت طوكيو على وجود خفر السواحل الصيني قرب جزر سينكاكو التي تسيطر عليها اليابان، وتدعي الصين أيضاً السيادة عليها.

ويؤكد المسؤولون اليابانيون أن السفن الصينية تنتهك بشكل روتيني المياه الإقليمية اليابانية حول الجزر، وتهدد حركة الصيد.