Chinese investment in Russia’s resource-rich Far East is growing, but Western sanctions are clouding the outlook
- A number of joint infrastructure projects between China and Russia have been completed in the resource-rich Far East region in recent months
- Analysts say Chinese investment is to make imports of Russian oil, natural gas and farm goods easier, but no major projects are on the horizon
China is strengthening transport links with Russia’s Far East at an accelerating pace, with a number of joint infrastructure projects aimed at streamlining trade completed in the past few months.
The Heihe-Blagoveshchensk bridge over the Amur River was opened in June, the maiden voyage of the Quanzhou-Fast East shipping line sailed in mid-September, and the 2,200-metre Tongjiang-Nizhneleninskoye railway bridge is expected to be inaugurated in the coming months.
Analysts say recent Chinese investment in the Far East is to aid imports of Russian oil, natural gas and farm goods, but no game-changing projects or large capital inflows are on the horizon following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin speak in person for first time since Russia invaded Ukraine
The shared border between the two countries is rich with natural resources such as natural gas, gold, coal, diamonds, timber and seafood. With the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway at the end of the 19th century, it also serves as a transit hub between Asia and Europe.
