Guide to Investment

Suifenhe City lies in the southeast of Heilongjiang Province and in the center of the Northeast Asian Economic Zone. The city governs an area of 460km2 and has a population of 100 thousand. With numerous mountains and lush forests, the area offers beautiful scenery. Geographically, the city is situated at 44°23′N, 131°9′E. It is bordered by the littoral zone of Russia on the east, the boundary line extending 27km.
As a border town, Suifenhe has been well known for its time-honored history and rich culture. “Suifen”, means “awl” in the Manchu language. Human activities in this area date back to the latter period of the New Stone Age. The city became a trading port when the Mideast Railway opened in 1903. During the 1920s, it was the third special city of the northeast, where merchants from as many as eighteen foreign countries gathered and did business. With an exotic atmosphere, the place was then called “commercial city on the border”. Since the People’s Republic of China was founded, the city has served as a major port in the trade between China and the former Soviet Union. In 1975, Suifenhe was authorized by the State Department to become a city directly under Province planning. In 1992, with the approval of the State Department, Suifenhe was one of the first opening border cities and a national-level border economic collaborative zone was set up. In 1999, on the basis of diplomatic notes between China and Russia, the Suifenhe-Buguranikinai Trade Synthesis was established. Now a famous land port in China, the city is easily accessed and ideal for business activities and tourism. Among the opening border cities, Suifenhe takes the lead in foreign trade, thus enjoying the reputation as “commercial metropolis on the boundary line”.

Suifenhe boasts first-class national ports, including modern railway port and highway port. Since reform and open-up was initiated in the country, the city has had the fastest growth in economy among its counterparts. It has received honors as National Civilized City, National Hygiene City, National Advanced City in Science and Technology, National Advanced Border City for Cultural Gallery Construction, National Advanced City for Comprehensive Environment Improvement, China’s Top Tourist City and China’s Advanced City for Afforestation. Striding into the new century, Suifenhe upholds the spirit of advancing with the times and shows great vitality. Local economy has grown rapidly and sustainably, and the comprehensive strength has substantially increased. In 2004, the GDP in the region reached 1.85 billion Yuan, representing a 28.9% increase over 2003; financial revenue reached 360 million Yuan increasing by 43.9% over 2003; the gross value of agricultural output was 68.50 million Yuan, growing by 13.4% over 2003; the gross value of industrial output was 710 million Yuan, increasing by 37.2% over 2003. The ratio of three industries was readjusted to 2：21：77; the urban per capita disposable income was 9,650 Yuan, increasing by 5.7% over its previous year. Foreign trade value amounted to 2.5 billion dollars, growing by 31.1% over 2003, accounting for 37% of the total foreign trade value of the province. There was a breakthrough in the utilization of foreign capital, with 32.22 million dollars in place. The ports handled 6.5 million tons of goods, increasing by 7% and accounting for above 70% of the provincial handling capacity. The number of inbound or outbound passengers was 1.15 million man-times, representing a 19.7% increase. The number of outgoing tourists was 410 thousand man-times, increasing by 18.1%. The tourist industry brought in 62.96 million dollars, growing by 21.5%. The actual amount of investment attracted totaled 1.07 billion Yuan, increasing by 22% over its previous year. For three successive years, the city has entered China’s Top 100 Counties/Cities, an appraisal conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics. Among the top 100, Suifenhe ranks the third in terms of development potential, and 42nd in terms of development vigor.

Currently, the Sino-Russia strategic partnership is facing great new opportunities, with high-level business collaboration to be taking off in the border region. As a pilot for free trade and investment which are beneficial to both countries, Suifenhe will grasp the opportunities and exploit its advantages, by implementing more open policies. Intending to be a window on China in the trade relationship, a channel connecting Asia and Europe, and a platform for the gathering of Northeast-Asian industry and finance, the city will accelerate its efforts in building the Suifenhe-Buguranikinai Trade Synthesis and Gurujekowo-Suifenhe Industrial Park. Furthermore, it will widely participate in economic collaborations in the Northeast Asia, promote regional economic collaboration for a big leap, and achieve mutual development with investors at home and abroad.