With the performance of My Motherland by Beijing Symphony Orchestra and Bolshoi Theatre Chamber Orchestra, a concert presented through cloud services closed in thunderous applause…… The concert was held at the Forbidden City Concert Hall on the evening of December 8, 2020, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the sister-city ties between Beijing and Moscow. Combining live performances and videos, the musicians from the two cities put on impressive performances for the audience on site and in front of the screen.
This concert is an important event of a series of activities marking the 25th anniversary of the two cities' partnership. Beijing and Moscow signed a plan of cooperation between 2021 and 2023. Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission, Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport, Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau and so on also had fruitful roundtable meetings online with their Moscow counterparts to exchange views on science, technology and innovation, transport, economy, trade and investment, and other topics.
It has been 25 years since Beijing and Moscow became sister cities on May 16, 1995. Over the years, the two cities have made consistent efforts to promote bilateral exchanges and cooperation and have seen fruitful results in areas such as economy, society, culture, urban management and so on. By 2017, they had signed 10 agreements on annual cooperation in various fields. Moscow was among the first members of the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) initiated by Beijing in 2012. Urban planning authorities and professional institutions from Beijing participated in several international forums organized by Moscow to offer advice on the development of Moscow. In the field of science & technology and innovation, Beijing International Exchange Association has established a long-term cooperation mechanism with Moscow State University (MSU) Science Park, and ZGC Group has signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with the Moscow Innovation Cluster. The investment fund co-established by the two cities is also about to make investment in the first batch of projects in fields such as new energy, new materials, biomedicine, and smart manufacturing.
The wide array of exchange activities between Beijing and Moscow have also enhanced the understanding between residents of the two cities. The two cities held "Beijing Day in Moscow" and "Moscow Week in Beijing" in 2006, 2007, 2017 and 2018. During the Year of Russian Tourism in China, 50 Russian families were invited to experience the square courtyards in Beijing in 2012, and 50 Beijing families were invited to stay with Moscow families in 2013. The people of the two cities thus developed a deep friendship. Russia became the most popular European destination of tourists from Beijing, with a total of 253,000 arrivals in 2019. In the field of education, seven elementary and middle schools in Beijing now offer Russian as an elective course, Beijing Union University and Moscow State University have jointly established a Russian proficiency test center, and Confucius Institutes have been set up in three universities in Moscow. Moscow is now a sister city of Beijing with the closest and most extensive and productive cooperation.
Beijing and Moscow marked the anniversary at a difficult time when most countries were facing grave challenges due to the pandemic, showing the resilience of their friendship. After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Beijing shared with Moscow on several occasions its measures and experiences in fighting the pandemic, boosting tourism recovery, and helping small and medium-sized enterprises resume work and production through video conferences and other means, providing strong support to Moscow in its fight against the pandemic.
Standing at a new historic starting point, Beijing and Moscow will continue to share their experiences in fighting the pandemic and promote practical cooperation. Both cities will make good use of the development opportunities arising from Beijing’s establishment of the "Two Zones" and the "Three Platforms" and Moscow's development of new areas. The two cities will encourage universities, research institutions and enterprises to cooperate in research, innovation and entrepreneurship, make plans for post-pandemic programs of tourism, study abroad, cultural exchanges and so on, to pursue partnership at a higher level, in more areas and greater depth.
(Reporter: Yang Qi)
