Manzhouli city marks centenary

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 ◆ Manzhouli city marks centenary

Manzhouli City, in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, north China, has just celebrated its centenary.

Manzhouli, on the border with Russia, is the country's largest land port city. In 1992, the Chinese and Russian governments officially approved its status as an international land port.

About 60 percent of goods traded between China and Russia are transported via Manzhouli. Last year, imports and exports via the land port reached 7.3 million tons, and the number of people passing through its customs exceeded one million.

The city has served as a barometer for relations between the two neighbors.

In 1970, when Sino-Soviet relations were at their lowest, the port handled only 120,000 tons of goods, compared with 4.78 million tons in 1955.