Nizhny Novgorod Region and China strengthened their partnership in the humanitarian sphere.

      January 8, 2026 15:16 Society

      Nizhny Novgorod Region summed up the results of its cooperation with the People’s Republic of China for 2025. According to the regional Ministry of International and Interregional Relations, about 50 joint initiatives were implemented over the year, covering education, culture, tourism, healthcare and other areas.

      Olga Guseva, Minister of International and Interregional Relations of Nizhny Novgorod Region, emphasized that China remains one of the region’s key strategic partners. Over the past 15 years, trade turnover between the parties has increased 18-fold.

      Cooperation has been particularly active within the interregional “Volga–Yangtze” format. At present, Nizhny Novgorod Region is building partnerships with six Chinese regions: the provinces of Anhui, Sichuan, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, and the centrally administered city of Chongqing.

      In 2025, Nizhny Novgorod municipalities also joined the international agenda. For example, the Voznesensky District established sister-city ties with the Chinese cities of Yining and Changfeng (city of Hefei).

      One significant event was the arrival in the region of a PRC delegation led by Chen Wenqing — a member of the Politburo and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee. During a meeting with the presidential envoy to the Volga Federal District, Igor Komarov, and Governor Gleb Nikitin, prospects for cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, education and trade were discussed.

      Special attention in 2025 was paid to educational ties. Nizhny Novgorod universities continue active cooperation with more than 45 Chinese universities. More than 100,000 students study in the region, of whom about 7,000 are foreigners from 130 countries, including over 500 students from China.

      Cultural and tourism exchanges also saw new development. In May, an introductory tour was organized for representatives of the tourism industry from the sister cities Hefei and Jinan. The guests visited historic cities along the Moscow — Nizhny Novgorod route and took part in the tourism forum “Discovering Nizhny” (18+).

      In addition, a cooperation agreement was signed between the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Children’s Clinical Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Jiangxi Province in the healthcare sector. As part of the interaction, more than ten events were held on neonatal surgery, minimally invasive treatment of congenital conditions, reproductive health and rehabilitation.

      “I am confident that our cooperation with China will continue to develop, opening new horizons in education, tourism, culture and other important areas. Together we can achieve even greater results and strengthen friendly ties,” Olga Guseva said.

      It was previously reported that 8% of residents of Nizhny Novgorod Region plan to study Chinese in 2026.

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