Hong Kong is a gateway for Russian businesses who are looking to explore the Chinese market, said Russia’s envoy to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR).

“Hong Kong is always a gateway for Russian products (to the Chinese mainland),” Anatoly Kargapolov, consul-general of Russia for the Hong Kong and Macao SARs, told China Daily on Wednesday.

He made the comments amid the launch of Hong Kong’s first chaan chaan teng-style Russian restaurant “Borsch Spot” in the city’s Fo Tan district that day, and the opening of the “Russian Pavilion” supermarket in Kai Tak.

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Speaking amid those launches, Kargapolov said Russian products are in high demand in Hong Kong and he hopes the new restaurant and supermarket can provide Hong Kong people with an opportunity to experience more Russian products and culture.

Though there are only about 2,000 Russian people living in Hong Kong, Kargapolov said the community has always been keen to contribute to Hong Kong’s society and economy.

In particular, as this year marks the 30th anniversary of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination and the 25th anniversary of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, Kargapolov said he expects to see closer business and cultural exchanges between Russia and the HKSAR.

“Our mission is very simple. It is to provide hearty Russian food, connecting the Russian Volga River with the Pearl River,” said Alexander Shponko, owner of Borsch Spot.

Noting that Hong Kong also has luo song tong, a popular adaptation of borsch but which does not use beets, Shponko, who has been working in the trade industry in Hong Kong for over 20 years, said he hopes the restaurant can give local people a place to enjoy Russian food not only with authentic taste but also at affordable price.

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According to Shponko, the food will be partially prepared at a central kitchen headed by two Russian chefs before shipping to the restaurant for final cooking. Besides dining in the restaurant, online delivery is also available via a mobile app.

As for the supermarket, it is jointly operated by Russian grocery store Slavic Feast, Borsch Spot and Siberia Taiga. It is the second such shop following the first Russian supermarket that opened in Mongkok last year.

Evgeniia Shcherbinina, CEO of Slavic Feast, said the opening of the shop is more about introducing Russian culture to Hong Kong rather than just selling products.

The shop offers a wide range of products, ranging from frozen fish and meat to snacks, health supplements and skincare products.

Huang Nannan, general manager of Hof Int’l (HK), the trading company that operates the brand Siberia Taiga, said all products sold in the store, except for the food from Borsch Spot which is prepared locally, are officially certified by the Russian government to ensure that they are truly made-in-Russia.

Huang said the company is in talks with a major Chinese e-commerce giant to make use of Hong Kong’s role as a leading international free trade port to ship Russian products directly to the Chinese mainland via the city in a more efficient way.

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“I have never used any Russian products before, but I am quite interested,” a Hong Kong customer surnamed Lau, 57, told China Daily after buying some skincare items on the opening day.

Lau, who lives in Kai Tak, said she is happy to see there is a Russian shop in the neighborhood as it can provide a new shopping experience.

In 2025, Russia was Hong Kong’s largest trading partner and import market in Central and Eastern Europe, according to data from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

Contact the writer at kelly@chinadailyapac.com