China and Russia will further increase border trade and promote trade and economic ties between regions of the two countries, according to a two-day meeting which concluded here today.

The meeting was attended by economy and trade delegations from the two countries.

Headed by Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Zhang Xiang, the Chinese delegation was comprised of delegates from the border areas, including Heilongjiang Province, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Delegates from other areas such as Shanghai City and Sichuan Province were also present.

Zhang said that the two countries now have 17 major ports open to trade along their 4,300-km peaceful border, and border trade had been developing rapidly in recent years, particularly in 1999. He added that the trade volume between China's Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and Russia amounted to 1. 89 billion U.S. dollars-worth last year, 27.7 percent higher than in the previous year and accounting for one third of the two countries' total trade volume for the year.

China mainly exports grain, fruit, vegetables, clothing, articles of everyday use, machinery and electrical appliances to Russia, while importing chemical fertilizer, steel, timber and transportation vehicles, Zhang said.