More and more Chinese tomatoes, onions, potatoes, cabbages, and apples end up on the tables of Russians, in particular Russians living in the far east of the country. Manzhouli, in Inner Mongolia, is one of the largest Sino-Russian trade ports. Data from Manzhouli Customs Office shows that China exported 105 different product varieties through Manzhouli to Russia in the first half of this year. The export value reached 1.44 billion yuan [210 million USD]. Fruit and vegetables accounted for 86.6% of the export volume.
Fruit and vegetables are also major export products in Suifenhe County, in Heilongjiang Province. Export through Suifenhe is mainly destined for the coastal areas of far eastern Russia and Khabarovsk. Since the initiation of the "one belt, one road" program, traditional border trade has given way to varied import and export. There is also a gradual expansion of the production areas, scale, and product varieties in fruit and vegetable export from China to Russia.
The first refrigerated cargo train travelled from China to Russia in February of this year. The train carried 135 tons of tomatoes and 25 tons of bell peppers. It went from Sichuan through Mongolia to Russia. Russian media say that Chinese fruit and vegetable exports to Russia show a gap between Russian and Chinese markets. They express the hope that Russia will also soon expand export to the Chinese market, so that the cooperation between the two countries can become closer.
Source: The People's Daily