In recent years, Heilongjiang has capitalized on its geographical advantages, strengthened its role as a key gateway for the Belt and Road Initiative, expanded opening-up and driven high-quality economic development, said Zhang Guojun, the Party secretary of Mudanjiang city in Heilongjiang province, during an interview with China Daily in Beijing.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), Heilongjiang will shoulder the major mission of building "a pivotal gateway for the nation's northward opening-up" and continue to accelerate high-quality revitalization and development, said Zhang, who is also a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress.

Throughout the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), Heilongjiang optimized its trade structure, strengthened cross-border industrial clusters, and enhanced the efficiency of domestic and international connectivity: "Despite mounting pressures, Heilongjiang's foreign trade doubled, achieving an average annual growth rate of 15.2 percent during the 14th Five-Year Plan period," Zhang added.

Over the course of the last plan, the export-to-import ratio increased by 10.6 percentage points compared with the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), while exports of high value-added goods grew significantly, with exports of mechanical and electrical products and high-tech products rising at average annual rates of 18.1 and 7.9 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, the cumulative value of service trade exceeded $14.6 billion.

In 2025, the province's total export value grew by 5 percent year-on-year, with exports to Russia increasing by 21.8 percent, exports to countries participating in the BRI rising by 11.6 percent, and exports to African nations climbing by 28.4 percent.

"As a major border city in China, Mudanjiang is vigorously developing an open economy and striving to build itself into a hub of openness," Zhang said.

Last year, the city's exports of high-value-added products such as electric passenger vehicles, lithium batteries and solar cells were 4.4 times greater, signaling a qualitative upgrade in the province's export structure, he added.

Zhang said that the province has strengthened its various opening-up platforms, with the free trade zone playing a leading role, while promoting institutional innovation and industrial clustering.

The free trade zone has contributed nearly one-fifth of Heilongjiang's actual foreign investment utilization and one-sixth of its total imports and exports. It has generated more than 700 institutional innovations, supported the establishment of 35,000 new enterprises, and fostered cross-border industrial clusters in sectors such as high-end equipment manufacturing, new materials, agricultural products and timber.

The approval of the Mudanjiang Industrial Collaboration Park last year has injected strong momentum into Heilongjiang's opening-up and development, Zhang said.

"The city is accelerating the formulation of an action plan to advance interprovincial cooperation, actively undertaking industrial transfers from more developed regions, and focusing on building export-oriented specialty industrial clusters," he added.

The party secretary said that Heilongjiang is also fast-tracking transportation infrastructure development to improve connectivity, with port passenger and freight volumes rising at average annual rates of 61.2 and 12 percent, respectively.

Leveraging the China-Russia visa-free policy, the province implemented measures to facilitate inbound tourism, resulting in a 134.7 percent rise in Russian visitors.

Mudanjiang is accelerating the construction of major infrastructure projects, including high-speed rail and expressways, to develop an open hub that connects inland and coastal regions and facilitates trade between northern and southern China, Zhang said.

As we enter the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we will formulate and implement a comprehensive plan to accelerate the development of a pivotal gateway for the nation's northward opening-up, he said.

"We will focus on transforming our opening-up strategy from a corridor-based model to a diversified economic system encompassing import-export processing and other sectors," the NPC deputy said.

"This will establish a new, comprehensive pattern of openness toward Northeast Asia, driving high-quality revitalization through high-level opening-up."

liujianqiao@chinadaily.com.cn