Moscow and Beijing hope new bridge linking Russian metropolis of Blagoveshchensk to Chinese language metropolis of Heihe will additional increase commerce as Ukraine conflict hits provide movement.
Russia and China have opened a brand new cross-border bridge within the Far East that they hope will additional strengthen commerce as Moscow reels from sweeping Western sanctions imposed over its actions in Ukraine.
The bridge linking the Russian metropolis of Blagoveshchensk to the Chinese language metropolis of Heihe throughout the Amur River – recognized in China because the Heilongjiang – is about 1km lengthy and price 19 billion roubles ($342m), the RIA information company reported on Friday.
Amid a fireworks show, freight vehicles from each ends crossed the two-lane bridge festooned with flags within the colors of each international locations, video footage of the opening confirmed.
Russian authorities mentioned the bridge would carry Moscow and Beijing nearer collectively by boosting commerce after they introduced a “no limits” partnership in February, shortly earlier than President Vladimir Putin despatched his forces into Ukraine.
“In at present’s divided world, the Blagoveshchensk-Heihe bridge between Russia and China carries a particular symbolic that means,” mentioned Yuri Trutnev, the Kremlin consultant within the Russian Far East.
China desires to deepen sensible cooperation with Russia in all areas, Chinese language Vice Premier Hu Chunhua mentioned on the opening.
Russia’s Minister of Transport Vitaly Savelyev mentioned the bridge would assist increase bilateral annual commerce to a couple of million tonnes of products.
Slicing journey time
The bridge had been beneath development since 2016 and was accomplished in Might 2020, however its opening was delayed by cross-border COVID-19 restrictions, mentioned BTS-MOST, the agency constructing the bridge on the Russian facet.
BTS-MOST mentioned freight site visitors on the bridge would shorten the journey distance of Chinese language items to western Russia by 1,500km (930 miles).
Autos crossing the bridge should pay a toll of 8,700 roubles ($150), a worth that's anticipated to drop as toll charges start to offset the price of development.
Russia mentioned in April it anticipated commodity flows with China to develop and commerce with Beijing to achieve $200bn by 2024.
China is a serious purchaser of Russian pure sources and agricultural merchandise.
China has declined to sentence Russia’s actions in Ukraine and has criticised the Western sanctions on Moscow.
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