Facing the ravaging pandemic in the past three years, China gave top priority to protecting people's lives and health – regardless of age, gender, or nationality. CGTN meets a Russian painter in the Sino-Russian border city of Suifenhe and has this story.

Lena Posevkina from Vladivostok came to Suifenhe in 2018. She's been living here ever since. ​It has been a challenging few years for people like Lena of the China-Russia borderlands: COVID resurgences, travel restrictions, lockdowns, and the lack of social interactions... But none of this stopped her from drawing.

"​For me, creativity is a way to relieve stress during the time when I can't see friends and family as much as I used to. Thanks to the city's anti-pandemic efforts in the past three years, I felt safe to go out, and the slower pace of life allowed me to bring many corners of the city onto the drawing board," Posevkina said. 

Early in 2020, the vast region where northeastern China meets eastern Russia was among the first locations worldwide to see decisive cross-border action against the spread of COVID. The remote border town has been grappling with imported cases time and again, and everyone here including Lena was affected and treated in the same way.

"​Many Russian expats living in our community had experienced a certain level of difficulties like not being able to scan the health code for PCR tests, visa expiration, and language barriers. We've formed a team to help them solve these problems. The community held everyone together through difficult times," Liu Ying, director of the Sanhelin community in Suifenhe told CGTN.

After China reopened borders​ in January, the interaction between northeast China and eastern Russia has been picking up steadily – from shuttle trading in everyday goods to larger-scale commerce in seafood and timbers, and hopefully medical and visa-free leisure tourism very soon. And Suifenhe, the frontier hub for Sino-Russian trade, stands ready for a post-COVID rebound.    

Suifenhe has managed multiple outbreaks since the pandemic broke out. With COVID control measures easing in China, both sides of the border are expected to get people-to-people interactions back on track.

"​Looking back at the past three years, all our efforts and dedications in fighting COVID were worthwhile. We've developed our team, and gained experiences under real circumstances," immigration officer Chen Bin at the Suifenhe border crossing told CGTN, adding, "Now we're ready to better serve travelers at the border and facilitate cross-border activities."