Russia-China fund puts $1b into deals

Investments in joint projects concentrate on infrastructure, tourism and logistics sectors

The Russia-China Investment Fund has sunk about $1 billion into three infrastructure, tourism and logistics deals, and a senior executive told China Daily that investing in agriculture and natural resources sectors will be next on the agenda.

"China is Russia's largest trading partner and an important partner of RDIF," Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said on Monday.

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"With deals in infrastructure, tourism and logistics made, we will pay attention to opportunities in sectors including agriculture and natural resources."

The three deals will be signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin's working visit to China on Tuesday and Wednesday.

They include the first Russia-China railway bridge across the Heilongjiang River, called the Amur River in Russia; tourism and senior living infrastructure in the two nations; and investment in the Chinese division of leading logistics provider Global Logistic Properties Ltd.

The Russia-China Investment Fund made the first deal last year with the acquisition of an approximately 42 percent stake in Russian Forest Products Group.

Together with China Investment Corp, the Russian Direct Investment Fund set up RCIF in 2012, a private equity fund in which both parties committed $1 billion each, with another $2 billion coming from additional Chinese institutional investors.

In addition to 70 percent of investment in Russia, 30 percent of the fund will go toward China.

According to the infrastructure deal, RCIF will have a joint investment with OJSC Far East and Baikal Region Development Fund to construct the first railway bridge between the two nations.

The bridge will have a capacity of up to 21 million tons per year.