China-Russia Cross-Border Cableway Reaches Key Milestone
The main structure of the world’s first cross-border cableway connecting China and Russia has been completed, marking a significant infrastructure milestone for bilateral connectivity. The Heihe-Blagoveshchensk cross-border passenger cableway, spanning the Heilongjiang (Amur) River, is scheduled for full completion by the end of 2026, according to Xinhua News Agency.
The announcement was made on August 2 by Zhang Qijun, deputy director of the China (Heilongjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone Heihe Area Management Committee, at the “Heihe Opening Northward Special Promotion Event” during the 2026 Entrepreneurs Sun Island Annual Conference, as reported by People’s Daily.
A Landmark of Bilateral Connectivity
Heihe and Blagoveshchensk are the closest border cities between China and Russia, separated by the Heilongjiang River at just about 750 meters at their nearest point. The two cities have maintained close economic, trade and cultural exchanges, with Heihe Port ranking among the busiest ports along the China-Russia frontier.
The cableway project, which began construction in July 2019, connects Daheihe Island in Heihe City, Heilongjiang Province, with the riverside area in central Blagoveshchensk, Russia. It represents the first cross-border passenger cableway between two countries anywhere in the world, according to Russian Wikipedia.
Cao Xinhong, chairman of Heihe Jinlonggang Construction Development Co., Ltd., the Chinese builder, detailed the cableway’s specifications: it stretches approximately 970 meters horizontally and employs one of the world’s most advanced cableway operation systems. The system features two cabins, each capable of carrying up to 110 passengers, with a maximum speed of 12 meters per second. A one-way trip takes just 6 to 8 minutes, and the system is designed to transport 2.6 million passengers annually in one direction.
Overcoming Construction Challenges
The project has faced significant hurdles since its groundbreaking ceremony on July 18, 2019, which was held on a barge in the middle of the Amur River and attended by officials from both countries, as ECNS reported at the time.
In 2022, construction was largely halted due to sanctions restrictions on French company Poma’s equipment supply. However, by 2023, construction resumed after alternative equipment was sourced from another country outside the French partnership. The project has since progressed steadily, with the 64-meter linear support tower fully assembled in 2024 and the four-story terminal building frame completed.
As of May 2026, the project was reported to be 93 percent complete, with the final cables being installed and cabins undergoing factory testing in China, according to RBC Primorye. By early July, cable pulling work had been completed, with the overall project approximately 90 percent complete, as AMUR.LIFE reported.
A Modern Border Crossing Experience
The Russian terminal, designed by Dutch architectural firm UNStudio, is a four-story building covering approximately 26,000 square meters. Its iceberg-inspired design concept, described as “striving forward,” will feature panoramic terraces, shopping galleries, restaurants and cafes. The terminal will be open to all visitors, even those not crossing the border, making it a new landmark attraction in Blagoveshchensk.
For passport control, 24 cabins have been installed across two floors — 12 for entry and 12 for exit of citizens, with two designed to accommodate people with limited mobility, according to Vokrug Sveta. The border crossing point is expected to become the most modern in Russia.
Ekaterina Kuzmina, operational director of the project management company, noted that the cableway’s capacity will reach up to 457 people per hour, with an expected annual throughput of about two million passengers. “There are practically no analogues in the world,” she said, adding that strict weight restrictions will apply to luggage, similar to airline regulations.
Broader Regional Impact
Once operational, the cableway will create a multi-dimensional cross-border transport network in Heihe featuring bridges, ferries and cableways, driving coordinated development of tourism, logistics and trade industries in the border regions of both countries, Zhang said.
The project is part of a broader China-Russia infrastructure connectivity push that includes the Heihe-Blagoveshchensk highway bridge, which opened in 2022 as the first highway bridge between the two countries, and the Tongjiang Railway Bridge. The plan aims to build a comprehensive transportation network connecting China’s Belt and Road Initiative with Russia’s Eurasian Union vision.
The timing is significant amid robust bilateral trade growth. China-Russia trade reached $134.175 billion in the first half of 2026, up 25.6 percent year-on-year, according to data cited by Global Times. Heihe has also seen surging cross-border activity, with 850,180 people crossing the border in 2024, a 127 percent year-on-year increase, as Xinhua English reported.
What to Watch For
The cableway is expected to be fully completed and enter trial operation in late 2026, with operational readiness targeted for December. Commissioning and test launches in real conditions will follow once the cabins are delivered from the manufacturing plant in China.
Associated developments include a five-star hotel being built next to the cableway with a congress area, restaurant and pool, as well as a multi-functional expo center of over 30,000 square meters planned on the other side. These additions underscore the project’s role as a catalyst for broader economic development in the border region.
As the world’s first cross-border cableway, the Heihe-Blagoveshchensk link represents more than just a transportation achievement — it symbolizes the deepening connectivity between two neighboring nations and sets a precedent for cross-border infrastructure innovation worldwide.