China-Russia cooperation area in Far East extends beyond Vladivostok

RECENTLY, the General Administration of Customs of China agreed to add the Russian port city of Vladivostok as a transit port for domestic transportation of goods in Jilin province, which has attracted attention and interpretations from both domestic and international public opinion from different perspectives. This is good news, as it contributes to the development of China, Russia and the East Asian region. It has been associated with imagination and many ideas, but has also led to some misunderstandings and distortions.

Jilin and Heilongjiang province do not have sea ports and have long relied on the Dalian Port in Liaoning province to transport goods by sea. If they transit through the port of Vladivostok in the future, it will shorten the land transportation distance by more than hundreds of kilometers, and the cost will be greatly reduced. For Vladivostok and the Russian Far East, a deeper and closer connection with the northeastern region of China will undoubtedly bring more development opportunities. These all have strong certainty, and worth expectations by both China and Russia.