A series of the Country of Honor (Russia) events of the 18th Conference on International Exchange of Professionals ( referred to "the Conference" hereafter) officially started in Moscow on October 22 local time. Zheng Shimin, Science and Technology Counsellor at the Embassy of China to the Russian Federation, and Viktor Smirnov, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, delivered speeches at the launching ceremony. Nearly 90 representatives from governmental departments, colleges and universities, scientific institutions, and sci-tech businesses of the Chinese provinces of Jiangxi, Hebei, and Guangdong, and the Chinese cities of Harbin and Shenzhen, led by China Association for International Exchange of Personnel， and Russia were at the event.

At the ceremony, representatives from the Department of Science and Technology of Jiangxi Province, Guangdong Sanshui Institute of Hefei University of Technology, Shenzhen's Qianhai International Talents Big Data Center, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Bauman Moscow State Technical University, the Department of Scientific and Technological Innovation Policy of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and other Chinese and Russian government departments, educational and institutional organizations, and sci-tech enterprises discussed on cooperation in sci-tech innovation and talent exchange between the two countries, looking into the future with resources matching and cooperation between two sides.

Before going to Russia, the organization committee of the Conference received 113 requests for project cooperation from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and therefore called for intentions from all related units in China. As a result, a total of 69 feedbacks on the Russian requests for project cooperation and 37 requests for cooperation in other planned projects with Russia were collected. During their visit in Russia, the Chinese representatives held further detailed discussions with the relevant Russian units over the project cooperation requests. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, interested to co-build a gene lab with a Chinese partner, has established preliminary contacts with Hebei Runkang Health Management and Counseling Co., Ltd.

As agreed with the Russian parties, the year-long Country of Honor (Russia) serial events of the Conference will be arranged into 3 phases according to the Conference main session from April 14 to 15 2020: pre-Conference activities, main venue activities, and post-Conference activities. The launching ceremony held in Moscow is one of the key pre-Conference activities. In the following year, both sides will keep in close touch with each other, work together to carry out a series of diversified events and seek common interests to promote and underpin bilateral cooperation in sci-tech areas. Especially during the main venue event of the Conference next April, the two sides will jointly carry out events like the China-Russia sci-tech innovation forum, display of results from China-Russia sci-tech cooperation, on-site presentation of Country of Honor cooperation projects, and arrangements for supplier-seller cooperation, proactively mapping out and synergising international Innovation resources. After the Conference, guests of the Country of Honor will be organized to pay visits to various places in China. The Conference closing ceremony and the China-Russia Sci-Tech Collaborative Achievements Display will be held in due course to deepen practical cooperation and realize win-win development.