Russian national, Ekaterina Nazarova visited Beiing for the first time in 2008 during the Olympic Games. And ten years later, not only does she speak Chinese fluently, but she is also running a trade business in China. As a representative for Russian wood exporter - Siberia Group Company,  Nazarova is now living in Northeastern Chinese city of Shuifenhe — China's largest distribution center for Russian wood.

"The first challenge was the language. Then, I found that doing business in China is quite different from my home country. For example, when we are bargaining in Russia, we say 10% off, but in China, people say it the another way around — 90 percent of the original price,” said Nazarova.

Since she joined the Russian wood exporter's China office in 2012, business has increased 30-fold. But Nazarova said that the rapid growth did not come until 2015 — the year when the two nations' leaders agreed to boost all-around cooperation under the Belt and Road initiative.

Wood is one of the top imports China needs from its Belt and Road partners. While trains loaded with Chinese products travel along the silk road, often as far as Europe, trains return with piles and piles of Russian wood. And China's demand for imported wood is expected to grow 5 times by 2020 — boosting stronger trade ties between China and Russia.

Nazarova has made many friends here — some of whom are also her business partners. She hopes that the Belt and Road can reach more cities in her home country so that her firm can bring in more quality wood, thus meeting China's rising demand. When asked if she wants to stay in China, Nazarova told CGTN that “Of course, I want to stay. The quality of living is increasing quickly here and it's also really safe here.”