China-Russia Relations: Chinese railway company builds new metro line for Moscow

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Europe

02:56

Chinese President Xi Jinping will begin a state visit to Russia on Wednesday. The two nations celebrate 70 years of ties this year. And relations are growing closer, particularly in trade and economic cooperation. CGTN's Wang Hui reports on a Chinese company that has just built the latest addition to Moscow's famous subway system.

46-year old Wang Baozhi has been working in Moscow for two years, helping build a metro line for the city.

WANG HUI "You've been working here for a long time. How do you feel about that?"

WANG BAOZHI WORKER, CHINA RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION "I feel pressure. I'm in a foreign country. I want to maintain the high quality of my work, because I want to give my country a good reputation."

Wang works for the China Railway Construction Corporation. It's the first foreign company on Moscow's metro line construction project. It sealed the deal with the city in January 2017, to build a four-kilometer-long metro line with three stops.

XUE LIQIANG PROJECT MANAGER, CHINA RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION "They gave us a tight deadline to hand in the project plan. They not only asked for the schedule, but also all sorts of details, such as staff, equipment, and materials. It was even narrowed down to everyday details."

Through its efforts, the company successfully won another contract later on for an additional two-meter-long line.

XUE LIQIANG PROJECT MANAGER, CHINA RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION "Our strengths are in our technology, management, and equipment. We work nonstop to ensure high efficiency and quality."

WANG HUI MOSCOW "China Railway Construction Corporation has brought a lot of advanced hardware here. This shield machine is a case in point. It's 100 meters, and used for tunneling. It's so potent, and it has already set a record of 35 meters in one day, when the norm is about 20."

The railway project now provides jobs to about 1-thousand workers, 65 percent of them are foreigners. A Russian worker is proud to say he holds a position higher than most of his peers in similar companies.

ALEKSANDR KOLOMEYTSEV WORKER, CHINA RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION "I started working for the company two years ago, with a low position. I have hope here, and the company gives opportunities for everyone. I also learn from Chinese people, how to organize everything."

China's Belt and Road Initiative complements Russia's promotion of the Eurasian Economic Union. With deeper trade and economic cooperation, the bilateral trade volume between the two countries exceeded 100-billion dollars last year.

Project Manager Xue says China Railway Construction has benefited from these initiatives. It plans to boost its cooperation with Russia, and extend services to other countries in the area. Wang Hui, CGTN, Moscow, Russia.