China's planned investment in Russia's Far Eastern regions approaches 1 trln rubles - consul general in Khabarovsk

KHABAROVSK. Jan 15 (Interfax) - China continues to be the largest trading partner and primary source of foreign investment for Russia's Far Eastern regions, as well as the main partner in projects in advanced development territories and the Free Port of Vladivostok, China's Consul General in Khabarovsk Jiang Xiaoyang said.

"Over 90% of foreign investment in the [Far Eastern] regions comes from China. In 18 advanced development territories and in 22 ports, 53 Chinese companies are operating, with total planned investment of 816 billion rubles," he told journalists on Wednesday.

Trade between the consular district's regions and Chinese provinces shows stable and positive trends, he said.

"Cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, energy, agriculture and production of building materials is steadily developing. Cargo transportation through cross-border infrastructure facilities, such as the Heihe-Blagoveshchensk road bridge and the Tongjiang-Nizhneleninskoye railway bridge, continues to grow," he said.

Passenger traffic via the Heihe-Blagoveshchensk road bridge began at the end of 2024. Construction of a logistics center on the Russian side of the railway bridge in the Jewish Autonomous Region is expected to be completed in 2025.

"It is highly likely that this year, the world's first cross-border international cableway, Heihe-Blagoveshchensk, will be launched," he said.

Speaking about the development of Bolshoi Ussuriysky Island, which the state border passes through, Jiang Xiaoyang said that the Chinese side began construction of a checkpoint in October last year, while the Russian side plans to start work this year.

"The implementation of large projects such as the Amur Gas Processing Plant and the Amur Gas Chemical Complex is also on schedule. A whole number of facilities will be completed in stages over the year," he said.