Manzhouli-Zabaikalsk port reopens on Sunday, first time since April 2020

Customs officers at Manzhouli port inspect the first batch of people entering the country after the passenger customs clearance restored at the Manzhouli highway port. Photo: In courtesy of Manzhouli port.

A passenger vehicle containing 16 passengers slowly rode into the Manzhouli-Zabaikalsk land border port on Sunday morning, marking resumption of passenger customs clearance at the largest land port between China and Russia, the Manzhouli port informed the Global Times.

The port located in Manzhouli, a major China-Russia trade hub in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has been closed since April 2020 following a wave of COVID-19 outbreaks.

As China moved to optimize its coronavirus management measures by reopening borders, the Manzhouli port also resumed passenger clearance. At 8:00 am on Sunday, the two-way international passenger shuttle bus between China and Russia that carried 16 inbound and 6 outbound passengers successfully passed customs clearance at the port.

A statement sent by Manzhouli port to the Global Times cited a passenger surnamed Zhang as saying that he couldn't help feeling excited upon thought of having a reunion with his family ahead of the Spring Festival.

"The Manzhouli port finally opened. I was so excited that I could not sleep last night." he said.

Customs officers at Manzhouli port inspect the first batch of people entering the country after the passenger customs clearance restored at the Manzhouli highway port. Photo: In courtesy of Manzhouli port.

Wang Tielin, deputy head at the Manzhouli border inspection station, said that the port will implement services and measures such as entry and exit customs clearance guide and green channel for urgent passengers, so as to promote and guarantee the exchange of Chinese and foreign personnel as the Spring Festival approached.

At the same time, they will further tighten port inspection and control to ensure that the entry-exit management is stable and orderly, and the port is running safely, Wang said.

Being an important channel that links China with Russia and European companies, the Manzhouli port's resumption of business will play an important role in improving business environment and facilitating international trade exchange.

China-Russia trade surged by 32 percent on a yearly basis in the first 11 months last year in US dollar terms.

Similar to Manzhouli port, other land ports in China are reopening after the country's new measures on coronavirus prevention kick in. On Sunday, Hekou, a major land port in southwest China's Yunnan Province that links China and Vietnam reopened, resulting in flocks of Chinese tourists traveling to Vietnam.

The mainland also reopened the border with Hong Kong on Sunday for the first time in three years.