Reuters has a noteworthy dispatch on a newly opened bridge between Russia and China — a piece of infrastructure that acts as an apt metaphor for the two countries’ deepening ties:
Russia and China opened a new cross-border bridge in the far east on Friday which they hope will further boost trade as Moscow reels from sweeping Western sanctions imposed over its actions in Ukraine.
The bridge linking the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk to the Chinese city of Heihe across the Amur river — known in China as Heilongjiang — is just over one kilometre long and cost 19 billion roubles ($342 million), the RIA news agency reported.
Amid a firework display, freight trucks from both ends crossed the two-lane bridge that was festooned with flags in the colours of both countries, video footage of the opening showed.
Russian authorities said the bridge would bring Moscow and Beijing closer together by boosting trade after they announced a “no limits” partnership in February, shortly before President Vladimir Putin sent his forces into Ukraine.
The “no limits” partnership declaration between Putin and Xi was followed swiftly by another meeting between Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, which I covered here.
The Chinese government released a noteworthy statement after the latter discussion: “China is ready to work with Russia to act on the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and promote China-Russia relations in the new era to higher levels.”