Fresh off the China-Russia Expo held in Harbin, representatives from nearly 30 Zhongshan enterprises wasted no time flying to Heilongjiang's Fuyuan — China's easternmost city — on a mission to forge a new trade channel to Russia for Zhongshan-made products.

"The location advantage is unmatched here. It is basically the hub of Northeast Asia," said Fang Qiang, chairman of Zhongshan Tianmei Electrical Appliances Co, standing on the pier of Fuyuan River Harbour International Warehousing Co. As China's top range hood exporter, Tianmei already holds a 35% share of the Russian market.

Fuyuan River Harbour has three 3,000-tonne berths and handles up to 800,000 tonnes of cargo annually, with vessels sailing directly to the sea of Japan, the US west coast, and beyond. But for Zhongshan companies, the real draw is the policy perks at the border trade center: a tax-free allowance of 8,000 yuan per person per day, opening up huge potential for cross-border e-commerce and retail.

At a follow-up symposium on the logistics and payment hurdles Zhongshan exporters face in Russia, Heilongjiang trade firms proposed using the Heixiazi Island port for logistics support. Meanwhile, the Harbin Bank Jiamusi branch pledged efficient cross-border settlement services, helping Zhongshan enterprises break into the Far East market of Russia.