Putin aide looks to boost Russian shipbuilding ties with China during visit

Russia is looking to expand shipbuilding cooperation with China through technology partnerships and joint investment, visiting presidential aide and Maritime Board chairman Nikolai Patrushev said.

Patrushev held talks in Beijing with Ke Jixin, Chinese vice-minister of industry and information technology, the Russian Maritime Board said in a statement on Saturday.

It said the two sides discussed the possibility of Chinese shipbuilders becoming technology partners and equipment suppliers for new Russian shipyard facilities.

Maritime ties are the main focus of Patrushev’s six-day trip, which began in Shanghai on Thursday.

There, he visited one of China’s biggest shipyards, Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, acknowledging that cooperation between the two countries on shipbuilding was “quite limited” at present but adding that there was scope for more.

“For example, we could jointly build a series of ice-class vessels at Russian shipyards, including those for Chinese shipping in the Arctic,” he said during a meeting with Waigaoqiao executives, according to a report by Russian broadcaster Rossiya-24.

“This task is becoming increasingly relevant for China,” he said. “Russia is currently developing a large-scale project for a trans-Arctic transport corridor, thanks to which polar trade routes will become significantly more attractive and safe.”

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Moscow has stepped up efforts to develop Russian shipbuilding to strengthen defence and security, setting up the Maritime Board in 2024 to coordinate its strategy with Patrushev at the helm.

Russia is also seeking to develop Arctic shipping lanes, while China is looking to the region as an alternative for its trade routes affected by escalating geopolitical tensions – creating strong potential for cooperation between the neighbouring countries.

Earlier this month at the annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, a think tank in Moscow, President Vladimir Putin said LNG carriers and civilian vessels for Arctic operations were being built at the Zvezda shipyard in Russia’s Far East.

“We have built there one of Russia’s biggest shipyards – Zvezda – which is building a fleet of superships that even the Soviet Union did not produce. We have launched the production of LNG tankers and super large civilian ships customised for operating in the Arctic,” Putin said.

“We are aware that our Chinese friends are also interested in this domain,” he added.

On Friday, Patrushev visited Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which is known for its work in mechanical engineering, shipbuilding and ocean engineering. He discussed boosting ties between Chinese and Russian universities and research institutes and the potential for joint research projects and training for the maritime sector.

He also toured the Yangshan Port, south of Shanghai, which has topped world container throughput rankings for 16 consecutive years.

Patrushev said there were opportunities for joint investment projects.

“We can implement joint investment projects to develop berthing and terminal infrastructure at Russian ports, drawing on the experience of the phased construction of the port of Yangshan, which took place over the course of a decade and a half,” he said, according to a separate Maritime Board statement.