BEIJING - Moscow and Beijing signed agreements on the control of grain quality on Thursday, which, Russia has said could technically open the Chinese market to its grain.
Russia has been in talks on supplying grain to China for several years, however, it was unclear to what extent these accords would make grain from Russia competitive there.
Russian food safety watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor and the Chinese government body in charge of quality control signed two food safety documents on Russian wheat, corn (maize), rapeseed, soybean and rice supplies at a ceremony in Beijing, the Russian government press-service told Reuters.
The documents were signed with a series of other deals during Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's visit to China.
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Interfax news agency said the Rosselkhoznadzor head Sergei Dankvert had previously said these agreements would open up the Chinese market for the Russian wheat.
Russia is currently one of the world's largest wheat exporters to North Africa and the Middle East and is expected to get a large crop of more than 100 million tons for the third year in a row in 2016.
Russia's Rosselkhoznadzor was not immediately available for comment. The agricultureministry declined to comment.
