From August 16 to 19, 2026, Kazan will host the International Forum «ROSTKI: Russia and China – Mutually Beneficial Cooperation» for the fourth time. Taliya Minullina, Head of the Investment Development Agency of the Republic of Tatarstan, spoke about the role of regions in shaping a new economic architecture, the practical value of the forum, and the specifics of cooperation with China.
Translated with AI assistance
The ROSTKI Forum is notable for being a grassroots initiative. How is it changing Russian-Chinese dialogue — not only economically, but also in terms of trust?
Russian-Chinese relations are currently at a very high level; however, their sustainability is largely determined not only by interstate agreements, but also by how deeply ties have been built at the level of regions, businesses, and professional communities. The ROSTKI Forum has become precisely such an instrument for this «horizontal» interaction. We are creating an environment in which representatives of Russian regions and Chinese provinces can directly discuss projects, make decisions faster, and move on to implementing them. The very name of the forum is symbolic: ROS stands for Russia, KI for China, and the unifying T for Tatarstan. The region is consciously taking on the mission of serving as a bridge between the two powers.
Tatarstan is one of the few Russian regions that consistently built relations with China long before the East became a key foreign economic priority. We have strong ties with the provinces of the PRC, a well-developed network of sister cities, and stable business and humanitarian exchanges. During the «ROSTKI» forum, Nizhnekamsk and Jixi became sister cities, while Kazan and Wuhan signed a memorandum of intent to establish similar relations. Today, sister city ties already unite more than 10 cities of Tatarstan and China.
So the ROSTKI forum, launched on the initiative of a region that knows how to create comfortable conditions for doing business, is exactly the kind of format through which trust is built. This happens not within the framework of formal meetings, but through personal interaction, joint work, and an understanding of each other’s business culture.
In your interviews, you have repeatedly noted that Russian businesses still do not understand China well enough. How does the forum address this issue?
China is indeed a complex and multifaceted market, where it is important to consider not only economic but also cultural and institutional specifics. We deliberately design the program so that participants can immerse themselves in the Chinese business environment – from specific market entry cases to understanding the logic behind decision-making. The business part of the forum is always accompanied by sports and cultural events. For example, alongside the main 2025 program, a charity golf tournament, «Chinese Sabantuy» with dragon boat races, the «Evening League» table tennis tournament, and a chess tournament were held. Healthy competition and the blending of two cultures created an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust that is difficult to achieve solely at the negotiating table.
Can your forum be considered a real tool for entering the Chinese market?
Yes, and this is a fundamentally important point. During the forum, dozens of agreements were signed, including in industry, logistics, education, and tourism. One example of cooperation and an expansion of the format of the «ROSTKI» forum is the Council for Interregional Cooperation «Volga – Yangtze,» which promotes interaction between the regions of the Volga Federal District and the provinces along the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River. A telling example of the fruits of this cooperation is Tatarstan’s partnership with Hangzhou. The twin cities cooperate in the fields of education, high technology, and investment: in 2023, an office of Innopolis University opened in Hangzhou — the university’s first representative office in China.
In March 2026, as part of a visit to Anhui Province, a delegation of the republic headed by Rais Rustam Minnikhanov toured production facilities and discussed prospects for expanding joint projects. At a meeting with representatives of Hubei Province, discussions focused on cooperation between Kazan Federal University (KFU) and universities in Wuhan, as well as the prospect of launching direct air service.
In 2024, bilateral trade between the PRC and Tatarstan reached $3.3 billion, with exports to China alone growing by two-thirds to $1.05 billion. This trend is continuing into 2025–2026. The main supplies consist of petrochemicals, rubber, and plastic products. Tatarstan also exports agricultural goods to China, including oil, confectionery, and processed agricultural products. In return, it receives components, equipment, and e-commerce goods. Russian businesses are gradually shifting from a simple «export-import» model to deeper cooperation through joint ventures, production localization, and technological partnerships. This marks a qualitatively new stage of collaboration, and ROSTKI serves as a catalyst for this process.
Does China remain a key investor in Tatarstan? Which projects would you highlight?
China holds a leading position among foreign investors in the republic. As Rustam Minnikhanov noted during his trip to Anhui Province, the share of Chinese investment in the structure of foreign investment for 2025 exceeded 62%.
A striking example is the implementation of the «One Belt, One Road» initiative in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone. The region’s largest logistics center has opened there. The new container terminal provides regular rail service with China. Since its launch in October 2024, 36 export trains have been dispatched and 6 import trains received.
Another illustrative project was the technical launch of the «NPC VEZUMA» auto components plant in «Alabuga». The agreement was signed at the «ROSTKI» forum, after which the parties moved on to industrial implementation. Two spark plug assembly lines with a capacity of up to 12 million units per year have already been launched. Plans include the construction of a second plant in the «Laishevo» industrial park.
Does the republic plan to diversify its investment flow, including through BRICS countries?
Absolutely. Despite our active engagement with China, Tatarstan is consistently expanding cooperation with a wide range of countries, including the BRICS nations. We are working to create a universal investment environment that encompasses infrastructure development, investor support, and the establishment of transparent rules of operation. Importantly, the ROSTKI forum platform also helps broaden the geography of our contacts and forge new partnerships. In 2025, Kazan hosted the first TIME: Russia – India. Mutual Efficiency business forum, which brought together about 3,500 participants from 35 Russian regions and 22 administrative divisions of India. Preparations for the second forum are currently underway.
In late 2025, the Consulate General of India also opened in Kazan. The consular district covers Tatarstan, the Volga regions, southern Russia, and the republics of the North Caucasus. This is a significant step toward each other that provides a strong impetus for the development of economic, cultural, and humanitarian relations.
What conditions does Tatarstan offer foreign investors? And what challenges do they face?
The Republic offers a comprehensive package of support measures: special economic zones, industrial parks, tax incentives, and a turnkey project facilitation system. Key advantages include well-developed infrastructure, a favorable geographical location, and experience in implementing large-scale international projects. As for the challenges, they are largely related to differences in business culture, legal regulations, and logistics. Our task is to minimize these barriers by acting as a kind of guide for investors and helping them adapt more quickly to the Russian market.
One of the key factors for strengthening the density of business contacts is the availability of direct air service. For example, after the launch in 2024 of the direct Kazan – Shanghai flight, which became the first direct route between the Volga Federal District and China, we noticed an increase in the interest of Chinese investors in the regions of the Volga area. At the «TIME: Russia – India. Mutual Efficiency» forum, the need to open air routes from Kazan to cities in India was repeatedly stated. Resolving this issue remains among our priorities.
How do you see the role of regions in the emerging multipolar BRICS economy?
Today, it is precisely the regions that are becoming the key drivers of international economic interaction. They adapt more quickly to changes, possess greater flexibility, and are capable of promptly launching joint projects. Within BRICS, this is especially important: a new architecture of the global economy is taking shape, in which not only states but also regional growth centers play a significant role. In this context, Tatarstan serves as a platform where such models of interaction are being built. And forums such as «ROSTKI» and TIME are among the tools that make it possible to translate strategic agreements into practical reality.
