This week offers another occasion for Russia and China to showcase what they describe as a ‘no-limits’ partnership. It isn’t just about politics: their intertwined, though unequal, economic relationship is also key to understanding their ties. France 24 correspondent Yena Lee reports from Suifenhe, China.

Suifenhe

The border town of Suifenhe in northeastern China has experienced significant growth in cross-border trade with Russia. Daily, over a thousand people cross the border, and local businesses benefit from increased commerce, particularly in sectors like timber and coal. Chinese companies are leveraging logging rights in Russia to process and export wood products, though they face challenges from Western tariffs and sanctions.

Despite these obstacles, trade between China and Russia reached a record $245 billion in the previous year, with China serving as a crucial economic partner for Russia. While some slowdown has been observed due to global tensions and economic conditions, the overall trend of deepening economic ties between the two countries remains unchanged.

China-Russia trade booms in border towns

Our correspondent Yena Li travelled to a Chinese town on the border with Russia to find out more. Tucked away in China's north-eastern corner, the county of Suifenhe is home to two border crossings into Russia. Every day, over a thousand people make the journey either way. Everyone here in this town speaks Russian, so it's really easy to communicate. More clothes, there is more chance for shopping, more than in Russia. I come from Vladivostok, and China has always helped us in difficult times. Situated on the border with Russia's far east, and on the edge of one of China's poorest provinces, Suifenhe was once a sleepy town. Now, growing trade between the two neighbours has provided major business opportunities. This Chinese company owns the logging rights to 870,000 hectares of Russian land. Our logs come from our own forests in Russia, then in the production process, they're transformed from logs to boards to sawn timber, followed by drying. Then they're transported to China and sent to our processing plant to produce floorboards. The company makes over 150,000 square metres of parquet every month, and sells both domestically and abroad. The exports are mainly to Europe and the United States, so tariffs from the US and sanctions from the EU impact us. Overall, our orders have shrunk. Anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese wood flooring have put pressure on exports. The EU has also banned Russian timber since the invasion of Ukraine. China is also the largest buyer of Russian coal, another product that faces Western sanctions we spot in Suifenhe. Natural resources go southbound, whilst Finnish products head north. This is how bilateral trade between Russia and China reached a record high of 245 billion dollars last year. Every month, this truck driver delivers consumer goods ordered online to Russia. It will take about seven to eight days to get from here to Moscow. Tensions and sluggish growth have started to cool down trade numbers, but the big picture hasn't changed. Beijing remains Moscow's economic lifeline, as the war in Ukraine continues.

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Brussels

Middle East Conflict

Belgium to recognize Palestine at the UN General Assembly

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Kunar

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Tianjin

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Plovdiv

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Jerusalem

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Kabul

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Sana'a

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Washington

Global Tariffs

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

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Barcelona

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Beijing

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Punjab

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Zaporizhzhia

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Minneapolis

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New York

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Paris

Ukraine Invasion

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Breakdown