New Pontoon Bridge to Link Jewish Autonomous Region and China

BIROBIDZHAN. November 30. VOSTOK-MEDIA – A new pontoon bridge across the Amur River was put in operation in the river port of Nizhneleninskoye crossing point, Jewish Autonomous Region (JAR), the port manager’s office told RIA Vostok-Media. The unique floating bridge has already linked the riverbanks of Russia and China three times. The pontoon bridge is capable of being used by various motor vehicles.

At present, there are three checkpoints along the 600-km wide JAR border with China, which is the main foreign business partner of the Jewish Autonomous Region.

In an interview to Birobidzhanskaya Zvezda weekly, the Head of the JAR Department of Consumer Market, Entrepreneurship and External Economic Relations Sergey Leskov shared his views on prospects of the cross-border cooperation: “Over the past three years, trade turnover between the Jewish Autonomous Region and China has increased three-fold. The amount of goods transported via our locations in 2008 grew up 17.1% totaling 212.2 thousand t. Also, in 2008 the cargo traffic in Pahkovo checkpoint has reached all time high. Earlier, the passenger traffic flaw through Pashkovo checkpoint was by far fewer than that of the other JAR checkpoint – Nizhneleninsky. In 2008, however, the passenger traffic flaw through Pashkovo has skyrocketed by 350-400 %!”