China-Russia Exchange: Russian businesswoman in Manzhouli sees upgrading border trade

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Manzhouli, one of China's northern border cities with Russia, has long-enjoyed booming trade figures. Since the 1990s, many Russians have crossed into the border town to conduct business. A border trade zone there gives residents from both sides a trading platform. CGTN Reporter Feng Yilei talks to a Russian shop owner there to see what her life is like now.

Victoria Nikolayeva finds herself in the middle of the July to September "rush season." The shop-owner in the town of Manzhouli operates in a border free-tax trade zone. Each day, customers buying imported Russian goods can bring her a turnover of over twenty thousand yuan, about 2,800 US dollars."

VICTORIA NIKOLAYEVA RUSSIAN MERCHANT "An increasing number of people come here. Chinese consumers love the quality and competitive prices of these Russian-made watches and leather handbags."

Seven years ago, amid the steep drop of the Russian ruble, Victoria moved to China with her Chinese husband to find trade opportunities. But cross-border bartering between people from both countries was not easy at first.

FENG YILEI MANZHOULI "The oldest form of border trade can still be seen today. Early every morning, Russian visitors, usually dubbed 'backpackers', take Russian goods, mainly bread and sweets, through Chinese customs. And after a day of sales, they will come back with a quota of Chinese stuff."

Victoria was lucky enough to grasp the new trends, as the city upgraded the trade zone for a more balanced, trusted petty trade growth. But what she got was not just a boutique in the new tax-free transaction hall but also assistance with her business.

VICTORIA NIKOLAYEVA RUSSIAN MERCHANT "In the beginning, the complicated procedure of importing Russia commodities puzzled me. But Chinese officials helped me a lot with paperwork, logistics and speedy customs clearances."

With a wide range of Russian goods in place, Chinese inhabitants of the border area were allowed to enter the trading zone using their trading cards to enjoy a duty-free allowance for purchases worth up to 8,000 yuan.

ZHANG JINZHU, DIRECTOR MANZHOULI CROSS-BORDER TRADE ZONE "We aim to build a platform for people from both sides to benefit from favorable trade policies. And to attract more Russian merchants to our territory, we will give them more convenient and efficient services to make them feel at home."

For Victoria, she has already fallen deeply in love with the city that very much resembles her homeland, the rapid urban renovation and the growing prosperity of business environment, not to mention the many Chinese she's met.

YIN XUNCHONG VICTORIA'S HUSBAND "We want to open more branches to offer authentic Russian goods in other Chinese cities."

VICTORIA NIKOLAYEVA RUSSIAN MERCHANT "All have the same name 'Victoria'."

Victoria's shop is just one of some fifty Russian companies operating in the Manzhouli tax-free trade zone. They have all witnessed a daily trading volume in the zone reaching a record high in the first half of this year. Although winter comes early to this northern town, merchants are confident that bilateral trade will remain piping hot on the border. Feng Yilei, CGTN, Manzhouli.