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BIZCHINA / Top Biz News

Twin cities to be more connected

By Te Kan (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-06-19 08:54

Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, with its unique geological
position, will have a bright future in its co-operation with the adjacent
Far East regions of Russia, said a top government official during the
17th China Harbin International Fair for Trade and Economic Co-operation
(Harbin Fair).

Speaking at the projects promotion briefings of the Amur Region of Russia
and the city of Heihe of Heilongjiang Province, Wang Limin, vice-governor
of Heilongjiang, said the two places are highly complementary to each
other and predicted a huge potential for future co-operation.

Their geographical locations mean Heihe, a border city in the
Northeastern part of Heilongjiang Province and the city of
Blagoveshchensk, in the Amur Region, are twin cities separated only by
the Hengjiang River (called Amur River in Russia), the Sino-Russian
border river.

They are also called the "Sino-Russian twin cities" along Heilongjiang's
more than 3,000 kilometre border with Russia.

In 1995, China and Russia reached an agreement to build a
cross-Heilongjiang River bridge from Heihe to Blagoveschensk, as a move
to boost border trade between the two countries.

Zhang Jingchuan, mayor of Heihe, said that preparatory work from the
Chinese side on the construction of the bridge was already finished, as
the National Development and Reform Commission had approved the project.
Heihe is now waiting for the Russian side.

Zhang said that the feasibility study of the project has been approved by
the Russian side and only needs approval from certain departments.

"I hope the two countries can kick off the construction of the
long-awaited bridge during the 2006 Year of Russia in China, or the Year
of China in Russia next year," Zhang said.

Heihe has already designated an area of about 10 square kilometres on the
Chinese side of the bridgehead as a future special trade zone, according
to Zhang.

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