China, Russia dispute land port opening
Friendly strategic relations unaffected by single issue: expert
As epidemic wanes in China, North East China’s Heilongjiang Province recently came under the spotlight as one of its border cities with Russia, Suifenhe, recorded 118 COVID-19 cases in just 5 days, all of whom were Chinese nationals returning home from Russia.
The growing number not only shocked China but also overwhelmed the medical capacity of the small border city, which has a population of mere 70,000.
Fearing that the pouring infections might collapse its medical system and spark widespread outbreak, China temporarily suspended the Suifenhe land port on April 7 to give itself more time to prepare for the inbound patients.
The only problem is that Russia, which is under increasing pressure to contain the virus as it just witnessed a record-high single day surge of confirmed cases, may not be able to accommodate Chinese nationals aggregating at the border for long.
Lu Yuguang, a journalist of Phoenix TV in Russia, said Wednesday on Twitter-like Weibo that Russia’s Ussuriysk customs required the Chinese side to re-open its border port to receive citizens returning to China through the land port as the direct flight was limited to once a week.
Customs said they have opened the Pogranichny port and moved stranded Chinese travelers to the port, waiting for Suifenhe to open up, according to Lu’s post.
Lu’s post has not been verified by the Chinese embassy and consulates in Russia as of press time.
Russian media reported on Thursday that Ussuriysk border ports close to China’s Suifenhe have resumed cargo operations on Thursday. It did not mention whether travelers are allowed to pass through the customs.
Lu’s post has sparked massive debates on the Chinese internet with some netizens expressing disappointment over Russia’s arrangement, and claiming it might facilitate cross-infection.
Global Times also learned on Thursday that the hotels available for isolation in Suifenhe, which locked down on Wednesday, are fully occupied, including hotels for hundreds of medical workers. A makeshift hospital with over 600 beds is expected to be completed on April 11, which might ease the burden.
Wu Dahui, a professor of international relations at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Thursday that it is not the case that China doesn’t want to accept its citizens stranded on the border. China is moving to make preparations to receive them, such as hospitals and medical teams.
It is understandable that countries prioritize their own interests amid the pandemic, Wu said, noting the dispute will not affect the strategic cooperation and friendly relations between China and Russia.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the two countries have been exchanging supplies and closely coordinating with each other. Communication at the strategic level is smooth, and problems at the local level can also be solved, observers noted.