CRI听力:Premier Li's visit to facilitate connection between development strategies

This year, the two sides are aiming to deepen connections between China's Belt and Road Initiative and Russia's national strategy.

Jiang Yi with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences says the Belt and Road Initiative has been widely welcomed in Russia.

"Through years of efforts, China's Belt and Road Initiative has received a positive response in Russia and among other Eurasian Economic Union members like Kazakhstan and Belarus. Meanwhile, our bilateral cooperation with these countries has also witnessed significant progress."

Officially launched in 2014, the Eurasian Economic Union aims to build a platform that guarantees access to a single market to member countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously proposed to build a comprehensive economic partnership between the Union members and China.

Chinese Ambassador to Russia Li Hui says this proposal conveys Russia's willingness to strengthen multilateral cooperation and portrays a great picture for regional cooperation.

"President Putin's proposal received positive responses in China. Leaders of both countries have previously raised this idea in meetings. Currently, Chinese and Russian scholars are engaging in studies and communications on this proposal to work out implementation plans for the next step."

Li Hui also added that China-Russia cooperation is already been backed by major investment and infrastructure projects.

The Eurasian High-speed Transportation Corridor, once completed, will connect Beijing and Moscow.

Deputy President of Russian Railways Aleksandr Misharin talks about the project progress.

"Currently, the designing and prospecting is about to be finished. We applied the most advanced technology. The outward design of the train is also coming to an end. Its model was previously shown to the Russian Prime Minister at an industrial expo in Yekaterinburg. I believe this project will be an example of China-Russia cooperation. We are preparing an inter-governmental document for the project. We hope the deal can be signed this year, so that we can start construction the next year."

The two countries also worked together on the design of a new wide-bodied aircraft, and showcased the plane at the recent Zhuhai airshow.

Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, one of the designers of the aircraft, expects the plane to be in operation within a year.

Guo Bozhi is the company's deputy president for the project.

"We will apply cutting-edge pneumatic technologies and use the latest composite material. The new-generation high-bypass ratio turbofan engine will greatly enhance the aircraft capacity so that the costs can be lowered by 10% compared with other similar aircraft. It will definitely gain some market share."

China and Russia are also planning on cooperation in road, bridge, harbor and other infrastructure.

Ambassador Li said in late October that thanks to efforts by both sides, China-Russia stabilized and began to grow in the first half of this year, totaling nearly 32 billion U.S. dollars, up 1.8 percent over the same period of last year.

For CRI, I'm Guan Chao.