Prospects for the Creation of a Russian-Chinese Cross-Border Zone of Economic Cooperation Between Blagoveshchensk and Heihe

Abstract

The article analyzes the history and prospects for the implementation of the project of a cross-border zone of economic cooperation between Russia and China. As the most promising site for the placement of such a zone, a "pre-bridge territory" is considered, adjacent to the Kanikurgan-Heihe bridge crossing in the immediate vicinity of the cities of Blagoveshchensk (Amur Region) and Heihe (Heilongjiang Province). At the same time, the author concludes that at present the Russian leadership is aimed at creating not a cross-border, but a border zone, which, nevertheless, should cooperate closely with the border zone of economic cooperation located on Chinese territory in Heihe. Bearing in mind that the subject matter under consideration is in many ways the subject of terminological and factual confusion, the author pays particular attention to the definition of what is meant by the cross-border and border zone of economic cooperation, which implies some preferential regime, etc.