Sino-Russia border checkpoint Heihe's Russian auto exports surge 169pc

HEIHE, a checkpoint on the Sino-Russian border in north eastern China's Heilongjiang province, posted a year-on-year 168.87 per cent increase in 2012 by exporting 4,716 automobiles to Russia, setting a record high.

The value of these vehicles, mostly dump trucks, also recorded a steep growth of 164.8 per cent to nearly US$2 billion, according to Xinhua.

Analysts said the rapid growth was stimulated by the strong domestic demand in Russia. Besides, higher cost efficiency of the Chinese automobile products also attracted Russian buyers.

Hehei is separated by the Heilongjiang River from Blagoveschensk, the third largest city in Russian Far East. The two border checkpoints are the closest and biggest with the most comprehensive services on the Sino-Russian border among their counterparts.