China's northeastern city of Harbin continues to take advantage of its geographical proximity to neighboring Russia. Over the years, Harbin has played a major role in the advancement of Sino-Russian relations. Now, as those ties reach new levels, the city is rolling out new strategies to forge ahead connectivity and business with Russia. CGTN's Feng Yilei reports.

The China-Russia Expo, held biannually in Harbin, has become an icon of the city's significant status in exchanges with Russia. This year, the fair has attracted a record-high number of Russian exhibitors and has witnessed the signing of over 300 agreements worth about 25 billion US dollars. And this is just a preview of deeper economic and trade ties under the advancing strategic partnership.

MAXIM AKIMOV RUSSIAN VICE PREMIER "We have two imperative tasks - to improve our business environment and logistics transportation. This will take our bilateral trade volume to new heights and bring more profits to the region."

Harbin appears fully ready to take the lead and bring along more players towards new growth in the region.

FENG YILEI HARBIN "The huge Russian influence once gave this city its identity as the Oriental Moscow. And now based on its deep historical links with Russia, Harbin aims to develop into a central city for Sino-Russian cooperation- in terms of commerce, technology and more."

The northeastern trading center runs a comprehensive bonded zone and supplementary logistics center to provide better customs clearance, bonded processing, logistics and trade services. Earlier this year, it was also designated to be a cross-border e-commerce pilot area to serve the fast-growing cross-border e-businesses with Russia. 

Soon, it will take another leap forward as China has recently unveiled plans to build up a new Free Trade Zone in Heilongjiang Province, with part of that in Harbin.

CHENG ZHIMING, VICE GOVERNOR HEILONGJIANG PROVINCE "The strategic positioning of the Heilongjiang Pilot Free Trade Zone is to revitalize northeastern China, deepen industrial structural reform, and thus serve as an important gateway for China to open to the north, and build a hub for cooperation with Russia and Northeast Asia."

And Harbin also shines in some of the rising key areas of cooperation between the two countries -- for instance, technology. Based on a sound scientific research and engineering background, many institutes here have carried out joint projects with their Russian counterparts, especially in telecommunication, agriculture and aerospace. 

Harbin Engineering University has long had a talent exchange history with Russian academies. And they recently established a China-Russia joint laboratory on polar technology and equipment to provide support for the building of the "Silk Road on Ice."

XUE YANZHUO, DEAN OF SHIPBUILDING ENGINEERING COLLEGE HARBIN ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY "We seek to combine our respective advantages in technology and shipbuilding techniques. And we hope research outcomes from joint projects will be used in our country's polar route operations in the future."

Besides, as an important part of the Belt and Road Initiative, Harbin will continue to build a more comprehensive transportation network and easier import and export passageways. It's not only the provincial capital but the entire region is now at the forefront of boosting connectivity. 

Two cross-border bridges are expected to go into operation this year, and construction of a cross-border natural gas pipeline is in full swing. With these mega projects in place, the border area hopes to see a new boom in trade, and people-to-people exchanges. Feng Yilei, CGTN, Harbin.