IN FOCUS: How geopolitics is reshaping a China-Russia border town’s local economy

Since the war in Ukraine and the Western sanctions that followed, Russia’s pivot east towards China has reshaped daily life in Suifenhe - from the surge in car exports to a rise in Russian shoppers seeking goods and services no longer easily available at home. In 2023, the Chinese border city handled around 21.5 billion yuan (US$3.07 billion) in trade with Russia - more than one-fifth of Heilongjiang’s Russia-related trade. A report noted that in 2023, cargo throughput at the Suifenhe port accounted for about 65 per cent of Heilongjiang province’s total, while its trade with Russia made up nearly 40 per cent of the province’s non-oil Russia-related trade - highlighting the city’s importance as a key hub for general merchandise and non-energy trade along the China-Russia border.