Forest Resource Development Potential in Russia and Priority Areas for China-Russia Cooperation
俄罗斯森林资源开发潜力与中俄合作的重点领域

Since 1998 when China began implementation of natural forest protection projects, the domestic timber supply has gradually shrunk and the timber market gap is now maintained at 35%~ 51% levels. The National Forest Resources Inventory published in 2006 showed that the timber demand gap in 2015 will expand to 300 million m3. With the reduction in domestic supply and increasing demand, a large number of timber imports will be needed. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Chinese imports of industrial logs grew from 7.33×106 m3 in 1995 to 3.8×107 m3 in 2008. Russia has rich forest resources and its stock accounts for 15.46% of total global growth stock. Forest resources in the Far East and Siberian regions accounts for 71.95% of national forest area and growing stock accounts for 65.43% of the country. The main tree species are larch, pine, birch and Siberian pine. Russian logs, softwood lumber, hardwood lumber and wood pulp exports to China accounted for 69%, 20.9%, 44.5% and 62.9 % of its exports in 2008-2009. Implementation of forest resource and long-term strategic cooperation between China and Russia will form the basis for cooperation. In the future the two countries, through joint venture factories, wholly-owned plant and labor cooperation, develop strong cooperation policies in forest resources. Cooperation in areas such as forestry harvesting, forest product deep processing, labor exports, forestry scientific and technological cooperation, forest tourism and environmental protection should be encouraged. To promote cooperation between the Chinese and Russian forestry sectors and private sectors, cooperation between enterprises should gradually be increased to encompass strategic cooperation at the regional government level and national level.