According to Changzhi Daily: the signing ceremony for developing sister city relations between Changzhi City and Tula City of Russia, and the first economic and trade exchange meeting between the two cities were held via video link on May 19. Changzhi Mayor Chen Erdong and Milyaev Dmitrie, Mayor of Tula City, signed the Letter of Intent. Zhang Lifeng, executive vice mayor, and Sang Ligang, secretary general of municipal government, attended the event.

Chen Erdong briefed the history, culture, ecological environment, natural resources and industrial structure of Changzhi. He noted that Changzhi is an open and inclusive city. At present, it has established economic and trade relations with more than 50 countries and regions. In 2021, the total import and export volume of the city reached 1.38 billion yuan. As an important industrial city in Russia, he stressed, Tula City has strength in equipment manufacturing, automobile production, energy chemical industry and military industry. It also enjoys profound history and developed higher education system. Changzhi and Tula have many common grounds in industrial field that could make win-win cooperation. Both cities have a solid foundation and broad prospects for further exchanges and cooperation in economic and trade, science and technology and culture. To develop sister city relations with Tula City will promote communication between the two places and peoples. He hopes that both sides can further the cooperation in various fields and realize shared development.

Mr Milyaev Dmitrie introduced the geographical advantages, industrial features and development prospects of Tura. He said that Tula City has solid industrial foundation, tourism development momentum, convenient transportation, and the two sides have great cooperation potential in many fields. He hopes that the two sides can expand the field of cooperation, tap the potential, enrich the content, start more projects and plans, and promote greater, deeper and higher levels of cooperation between the two cities.

After the signing ceremony, Changzhi Municipal Bureau of Commerce and Economic Promotion Bureau of Tula City exchanged views on economic and trade cooperation; and enterprise representatives of each side promoted their products.