Border city booms with deeper China-Russia economic ties

ZABAIKALSK, Russia - An increase in freight and people has brought prosperity to Zabaikalsk, a small city in the Far East near the Russian-Chinese border, as the two countries are expanding economic and trade cooperation.

Timur, the owner of a small eatery by a highway linking Zabaikalsk and China's largest land border port of Manzhouli in Inner Mongolia autonomous region, had a lot of business in the past two years thanks to an inflow of diners.

"Many truck drivers came to eat at my restaurant. In summer, I received Chinese tourists from time to time," he said, adding that quite a number of local people made a fortune from driving trucks or engaging in trade at the border just miles away.