Delegation heads to Moscow for talks in smuggling crackdown

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-07-20 23:43

BEIJING: A special delegation is expected to be sent to Moscow on Wednesday to conduct negotiations in the case of 150 Chinese merchants seized in a crackdown of a market in Moscow, Ling Ji, Deputy Director of Department of Europe under the Ministry of Commerce (MOC), said at a media briefing Monday.

China fully supports Russia's crackdown on smuggling and illegal business activities, but it hopes Russia can effectively protect the personal and property security, as well as dignity of the legal businessmen, said Ling Ji.

The negotiation will focus on reducing financial losses of the Chinese businessmen.

"We hope the Moscow municipal government could help Chinese businessmen to transfer their goods to safe markets to reduce their losses, as the market was suddenly closed, leaving no time for the Chinese businessmen to collect and transfer their goods," said Ling.

The negotiation will also be availed as an opportunity to enhance collaboration with Russia in regulating bilateral trade and improving the current customs cooperation mechanism, according to Ling.

The delegation, led by Gao Hucheng, Vice Minister of the MOC, is composed of officials from the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of Customs and trade officials from Zhejiang and Fujian provinces.

The Cherkizovsky Market is the biggest wholesale market in Moscow, and a large number of its businessmen are from China, Vietnam and central Asia. It was shut down temporarily on June 29 by the city government for smuggling concerns and safety reasons.

Figures from the Russia Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry shows there are a total of 60,000 Chinese businessmen in the Cherkizovsky Market.