Russia connectivity heats up in border regions

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(Xinhua) 08:07, April 07, 2025

BLAGOVESHCHENSK/HEIHE, April 6 (Xinhua) -- During his official visit to Russia earlier this week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said practical cooperation between the two neighbors continues to thrive, with Russian agricultural products reaching the tables of Chinese households and Chinese cars commonly seen on Russian streets.

This growing connectivity is clearly visible in Heihe, a small city in China's Heilongjiang Province that sits along the 4,300-kilometer border between the two countries. As the closest Chinese city to Russia, Heihe has long been a hub for cross-border activity.

Despite a blanketing and lingering April snow, Heihe is pulsating with cross-border exchanges. Russians crowd the bustling morning markets, fill classrooms on university campuses, and stream through busy transport hubs.

In recent years, the Belt and Road Initiative has augmented the city's ties to Russia, with cross-border medical tourism and educational exchanges flourishing due to increased infrastructure connectivity.

An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 11, 2023 shows the Heihe-Blagoveshchensk cross-border highway bridge as seen from the city of Heihe, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. (Xinhua/Wang Song)

CLOSE CONNECTION

Heihe and Blagoveshchensk in Russia's Amur Oblast are the closest border cities between the two countries. Neighboring each other across the Heilongjiang River, a mere 700 meters separates them at their nearest point.

Due to its prime location, Heihe Port handles the bulk of the city's cross-border passenger traffic. According to local border authorities, it is among the busiest ports along the China-Russia frontier, processing around 90,000 travelers in the first quarter of 2025 alone.

The river brings not only proximity but also seasonal enjoyment. Heihe customs official Yang Ming told Xinhua that in winter, when the ice thickens beyond 60 centimeters, a floating bridge would form across it, allowing buses to make the journey in 14 to 15 minutes. For those in a hurry, hovercrafts are the best option, reaching the other bank in minutes.

The high season comes when the ice is thawed. Around 2,000-2,500 arrivals and departures by boat were recorded daily last summer, she added.

As efficient as the crossing is, the bridge is only open 240 days a year due to seasonal factors. To ensure connectivity remains intact year-round, the Heihe-Blagoveshchensk cross-border highway bridge opened to traffic in 2022.

As the first highway bridge between the two countries, it was built with special steel that can resist corrosion and withstand temperatures as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius, guaranteeing full-year operations unfazed by rising waters or withering snowstorms.

The enhanced connectivity combined with Heihe's resumption of mutual visa-free group tours with Russia in September 2023 has driven a surge in cross-border travel. According to the border authorities, the city saw 850,180 people cross the border in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 127 percent.

Deputy Minister of Transport and Road Facilities of Russia's Amur Region Svetlana Popova told Xinhua in a recent interview that the highway bridge "tightly connects Heihe with Blagoveshchensk, becoming a symbol of China-Russia friendship."

She said the bridge ensures uninterrupted and smooth transportation between the cities. "The bridge not only connects Heihe and Blagoveshchensk but also brings the hearts of the people from both sides closer together."

People are seen in front of a supermarket, which sells imported products, in Heihe, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Aug. 9, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Song)

MEDICAL TOURISM

Thanks to convenient border-crossing transportation, medical tourism is flourishing in Heihe. Waves of Russian visitors come to experience traditional Chinese medicine, often pairing their treatments with leisure activities and fueling growth in local tourism.

At the Heihe Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the fragrant aroma of herbs fills the air. Every sign is displayed in both Chinese and Russian.

Hospital head Liu Xuesong told Xinhua that the hospital had established an international clinic last year due to an increasing number of Russian patients.

"We treated around 600 Russian patients in 2024," he said. "Most of them came for physical check-ups and chronic conditions such as neck, shoulder and back pains."

Liu said the patients seek out massages and herbal remedies to restore health. "We prescribed over 300 herbal formulas last year for the Russians. Some even take the herbs back to Russia with them."