Russia and China strike major video games deal
Russia and China have agreed to step up cooperation in the video game industry and promote each other’s products, according to a statement released after Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin met with his Chinese counterpart, Li Qiang, in Moscow.
Mishustin welcomed Li on Wednesday for the 29th regular meeting of the Russian and Chinese heads of government. The Russian prime minister stressed the significance of bilateral relations at a time when the “contours of the new world order are being formed.” He also touched on Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Ukraine conflict, arguing that the “illegitimate” restrictions are aimed at “containing Russia’s and China’s economic and technological potential” and ensuring the West’s global dominance.
As part of the meeting, the two countries adopted a joint communique that envisages the “building up of cooperation in the video game industry,” while pledging to promote each other’s products in their respective markets.
A working group should also be established with a focus on artificial intelligence, with partnership in cybersecurity named among other priority areas, according to the document.
In addition, China and Russia have agreed to deepen industrial cooperation, including in the automobile industry, as well as to expand ties in space exploration and humanitarian and educational areas.
Interaction between Russian and Chinese gamers was on display earlier this year at the ‘Games of the Future’ in Kazan, where Chinese teams were among the most successful across various cyber-disciplines.
Russian President Vladimir Putin paid a state visit to China in May – the first foreign trip of his presidency – having been sworn in for a fifth term earlier that month. Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping hailed the level of cooperation between the two countries as “unprecedented” and a “model of relations between large powers and neighboring states.”
The two heads of state tasked their respective governments with intensifying cooperation in a number of areas, including in cross-cultural and technological ties.
