As part of a working visit to the People’s Republic of China, the Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation Andrey Nikitin held talks with Liu Wei, Minister of Transport of People's Republic of China and invited Chinese colleagues to take part in the International Transport and Logistics Forum, which will be held in St. Petersburg on 1–3 April. The parties confirmed their intention to continue systematic cooperation across all key areas of transport.
“We see enormous potential in aligning our approaches with partners from China in the field of transport development. The exchange of experience in unmanned technologies, the harmonization of legal frameworks, and the joint implementation of infrastructure projects strengthen trust between Russia and China and create a solid foundation for the development of the Eurasian transport system,” said Andrey Nikitin.
Over the past two years, there has been significant growth in road freight transport between the two countries. The volume exceeded 6 million tonnes, and the number of permits issued in 2025 increased by 46 percent.
Rail freight transportation between the countries grew by 6.3 percent in 2025, reaching 186.8 million tonnes. Plans include the construction of a second main track with a 1435 mm gauge at the Zabaykalsk–Manzhouli crossing. The project is expected to increase capacity by 11 million tonnes per year by 2030, which is equivalent to nearly 50 train pairs per day. In addition, work is underway to simplify visa procedures for train crew members.
The number of air flights between Russia and China continues to grow. During the summer season of 2025, 228 flights per week were operated, increasing to 239 in the winter season. Russian airlines carried more than 1.6 million passengers in 2025, which is 27 percent more than the previous year. Russia has proposed that the Chinese side consider allowing the use of Chinese airspace for domestic flights within Russia.
Both sides see strong potential in developing the river-sea transport corridor linking northeastern China with Russia’s Far East. The construction of the new coal terminal Port Elga will make it possible to increase water transport volumes by an additional 30 million tonnes per year. In addition, in September 2025, a Chinese vessel successfully completed a test passage along Russian waterways of the lower Amur River.
Bridge crossings over border rivers are another area of cooperation. The freight traffic project on the Blagoveshchensk–Heihe road bridge has proven its effectiveness. Given the need for new routes, the transport ministers agreed to intensify the work of regional authorities to sign intergovernmental agreements on the construction of new toll bridges with private investment.
Russia and China are global leaders in the development of unmanned technologies. To facilitate the exchange of experience in regulatory frameworks for unmanned transport, it has been proposed to establish a bilateral working group.
