The grand opening of the Dongbei Industry and Trade Alliance (translated from Chinese as "Northeast") took place in Irkutsk. The new business platform united the chambers of commerce and industry of four regions of China: the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. From the Russian side, Siberia and the Far East are in focus.

The ceremony brought together more than 100 delegates from big business and provincial governments of the PRC. The Russian side was represented by members of the legislative branch, headed by Kuzma Aldarov, First Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Irkutsk Region. Vladimir Salovarov, Director of the Department for Support of Entrepreneurship and Foreign Economic Activity, spoke on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Eastern Siberia.

From Baikal State University, the meeting was attended by Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Vladimir Sinichenko. According to him, the main goal of the Alliance is to create a long-term and sustainable mechanism for cross-border cooperation in key areas: industry, trade, logistics, tourism, education and science.