Rossiya Segodnya:

According to Russian statistics, the ice-breaking pilotage number for the Northern Sea Route increased by 20 percent in 2017. The issue just raised by the Japanese reporter was about the Arctic route. May I ask whether Chinese companies would cooperate with Russian counterparts, and whether they would be prepared to conduct consultations in this regard. According to the Global Times, the number of Chinese tourists in the Arctic area of Russia has increased nine-fold in the past decade. As the number of Chinese tourists increases, does China plan to establish a cooperative relationship with Russia or other relevant departments to handle this growth?

Kong Xuanyou:

Over the years, China and Russia have had very good cooperation in Arctic affairs. We know that Russia is a great Arctic country with an important influence on Arctic affairs. Therefore, we are willing to strengthen our cooperation with Russia in various fields related to Arctic affairs from the perspective of deepening the all-round strategic partnership between the two countries.

As you mentioned, the number of Chinese tourists traveling to the Arctic region is increasing. As I said just now, for us, the priority is to understand the Arctic, the other is to protect the region and ensure its sustainable development. Under this premise, in order to promote economic and social development in the Arctic, citizens are encouraged to travel and to undertake scientific expeditions in the Arctic according to the principles mentioned above. In the meantime, we will always maintain close communication and cooperation with Russia and other relevant countries in the process of implementing this cause and ensure that the goal of Arctic cooperation can be effectively achieved. Thank you.

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