The impact of climate change and COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy is indeed powerful; this determines particular relevance of low-carbon economy and environment-oriented development, drawing considerable public attention to these issues. China and Russia as the two largest neighboring countries have a centuries-old history of relationship and fruitful cooperation. Transport industry plays an essential role in promoting trade and economic development between the two countries and its expansion may also contribute to achieving sustainable development and carbon neutrality goals. This paper aims to assess the prospects of cooperation between China and Russia in transport policy with regard to the environmental component through the study of the environment-oriented processes using the transregional theory, and Kuznetsov’ transregional model of interaction between Russia and China in the transport sector. The results of the present research show that China and Russia can be expected to further strengthen their cooperation in the field of transport infrastructure building and renovating roads railways, ports, and border crossings to expand traffic capacity and improve efficiency — all this with a focus on new green technologies.

China-Russia interaction, sustainable development, transport policy, environmentally-oriented transport policy.

Since its inception in 2013, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has become a focal issue in international transportation and global logistics because infrastructure development and economic and transport corridors influenced connectivity among the countries along the Belt and Road (Fang, 2020; Lee et al., 2020, Wang et al, 2021). Today, the essential question is how to develop the green Belt and Road initiative, because, being green, it could yield enormous benefits in terms of environmental protection. (BRI IGDC, 2022).

Transport is an integral part of the environment. Transport accounts for a relatively large amount of energy consumption, leading to severe environmental pollution. Greenhouse gas emissions generated by the transport system account for about a quarter of total global emissions, so achieving clean, efficient and sustainable transportation worldwide is a real challenge and the analysis of how the transport industry affects the environment or the environment affects the transport industry is timely and important. The coronavirus epidemic has dramatically influenced the development of the world economy, showing how closely all countries are connected in the modern world. Transport plays a vital role in cooperation and exchanges between different countries. From 14 to 16 October 2021, Beijing hosted the Second United Nations Global Conference on Sustainable Transport, which proved that the sustainable and environmentally-oriented transport development had become a vital issue of concern worldwide (Thürer et al., 2020).

Russian-Chinese economic and trade cooperation has a long history. On June 28, 2021, the two states issued a joint statement officially announcing the extension of the Sino-Russian Treaty of Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation. In particular., both sides cooperate and exchange experience in the transport sector and the vast land border opens up broad prospects for cooperation between China and Russia in developing transport corridors (UN, 2021). In order to predict the future environmentally-oriented development of cooperation between Russia and China in transport it is necessary to, first, examine the regulatory documents China and Russia have regarding sustainable and environmentally-oriented transport development and, second, explore the ways in which green innovations can be introduced.

The first part of the paper is a theoretical background literature review concerning transregional cooperation between China and Russia. The second part represents the sample, dataset and methodological background. The third part presents results concerning transport industry economic modeling. At the end of the paper can find some concluding remarks.

The theoretical base for this research is transregional theory. Methodologically, the authors use historical analogies in their comparative analyses, and a systems approach. We consider the Chinese and Russian transportation policy not separately, but as one of several critical structure-forming elements of a whole that exerts an impact on regional subsystems.

The authors also develop Kuznetsov’s transregional model (Chinese Government, 2019) of Sino-Russia transport collaboration emphasizing the environmental aspects.

The paper analyzes data on the interaction in the transport sector between China and Russia in recent years. The authors analyze the logistics and traffic conditions based on the data on bilateral trade activities, and assess the traffic conditions, conditions and prospects for cooperation between the two countries. The data regarding bilateral trade between China and Russia are taken from the following sources:

1. Data released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
2. Data from China Customs.
3. Data from the Belt and Road Database.

The diagram of the interaction between Russia and China in the transport sector, taking into account the environmental component is shown in figure 2.

Figure 2. 

Environmentally-oriented transregional interaction between Russia and China in the transport sector. Source: the authors’ vision, based on the Kuznetsov transregional model

Figure 2 shows the system of interaction between Russia and China in the transport sector, with regard to the environmental component. The interaction of factors in such a system should indicate a strategy for developing the transport industry in the Russia-China system.

In recent years, the trade between Russia and China has grown steadily. As of 2021, China had been Russia’s largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years. Judging by the data for 2021, the Russian Federation will continue to maintain its status as the largest source of energy imports for China (Chinese Government, 2008), supplied in the amount of more than 50 billion US dollars per year, which is about two-thirds of the total value of Chinese imports from Russia. Agricultural products and timber also make up a significant share of Russia’s exports to China. This year, Chinese exports of mechanical and electrical products to Russia amounted to about three-fifths of the total value (Chinese Government, 2021) (see figure 3).

Figure 3. 

Total volume of import-export trade between China and Russia for 2014 2021. Source: PRC General Administration of Customs

In cargo transportation methods (figure 3, 4), water transport accounts for the largest share, followed by rail transport, while air transport and road transport account for a relatively small share. It should be noted that the energy commodities that make up the largest share of Russian exports to China and account for a relatively large share of oil and natural gas transported through pipelines are not included in this data. Due to the geographical location of the two countries, the use of rail transport, road transport and pipeline transport exceeds the average level of using these types of shipping goods in the rest of the world. The water transport, especially maritime, is becoming more and more popular with the trading companies on both sides of the border.

Figure 4. 

Сargo-transportation methods, Russian exports to China. Source: PRC General Administration of Customs

At the same time, we need to pay attention to some characteristics of the 2021 data. Among the goods exported by Russia to China, energy products account for a relatively large share. The global economy, which had suffered from the coronavirus pandemic, began to recover and gain momentum in 2021. Under the influence of economic recovery, energy prices have risen sharply. In 2021, China’s total oil imports from Russia decreased yearly, but the overall price increased significantly for the same period.

This price dynamics affected the volume of freight traffic and the method of transportation, too. The pandemic disrupted operations of most of the ports on both sides; work had been suspended or the scope and efficiency of work had been reduced. As a result, the volume of road transport had decreased. Owing to the increase in the world energy prices and the rising prices for maritime transport, the volume of rail transport increased. As the economy began to recover, the boom in freight traffic led to congestion in international shipping ports and inefficient container handling, which in turn led to a sharp rise in shipping prices. This also caused an increase in demand for rail transport. Now the total amount of rail freight shipped by China to Europe via Russia is expected to increase by 20%.

When the pandemic is under control, the working conditions of the ports of the two countries will return to normal, and the cargo logistics conditions of China and Russia are expected to do the same. China’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 will also impact cooperation between the two sides. China plans to achieve a “carbon peak” by 2030, which means changes in the current energy mix (Ministry of Transport, 2021). Coal accounts for more than half of China’s primary energy consumption, much higher than US and European countries. In 2030, the share of coal in its primary energy consumption is projected to decrease, while the share of low-carbon and clean energy sources will increase (see figure 5).

Figure 5. 

Share of primary energy consumption in China in 2021 and 2030. Source: PRC General Administration of Customs

The volume of import and export trade between China and Russia in 2021 increased significantly compared to the previous year, and the data shows that the situation in bilateral cooperation is good. Although the data for 2021 have some peculiarities, they may still reflect the momentum of excellent and environmentally-oriented development of cooperation between the two parties.

In 2021, the lack of transport capacity, low efficiency and rising freight rates also gave rise to the ideas about new directions for future development and cooperation between China and Russia.

On November 30, 2021, the “Joint Communiqué 26th Regular Meeting of the Prime Ministers of China and Russia” was published (Lin, 2017). This communique sums up cooperation between the two parties in transport and outlines prospects for future activity. For several reasons, some Sino-Russian cross-border infrastructure projects do not work as planned, for example, the Heihe-Blagoveshchensk Road bridge was initially planned to be fully operational in 2020, but due to the coronavirus epidemic, it is practically not used. In the future, after the cross-border infrastructure projects planned by the two countries are fully completed and put into operation, this will significantly improve the transport efficiency and help achieve the goals of sustainable transport development. On February 4, 2022, the parties signed the “Joint statement of the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation on the completion of the development of the “Plan for the qualitative development of Chinese-Russian trade in goods and services”. The “Quality Development Plan for China-Russia Trade in Goods and Services” is conducive to improving the efficiency of China-Russia trade, expanding bilateral investment and strategic cooperation in large-scale projects, and providing clear guidance for the future of economic and trade cooperation, cargo transportation and other directions (Yilmaz & Changming, 2020).

Currently, cooperation between China and Russia in the sustainable development of transport policy is mainly concentrated in the northeast part of China and the Russian Far East. Through the use of scientific and technical innovations both sides hope to increase efficiency, enhance energy saving and reduce emissions. In order to strengthen cross-border transport cooperation and facilitate transportation and customs clearance, the two countries have signed the agreements “Agreement between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Russian Federation on the facilitation of the citizens exchange “(signed in March 2013), and the “Agreement between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Russian Federation on international road transport” (signed in June 2018); they are now planning to implement measures aimed at improving the efficiency of transportation. The parties have also discussed the formulation of a new Sino-Russian intergovernmental agreement on border ports and continued cooperation in order to boost the construction of port infrastructure, optimize the port working hours, introduce innovative port transport methods, and improve customs clearance conditions at the port (China Government, 2022; General Administration of Customs of PRC; China Communications News, 2022). In the future, it will be possible to make use of the relevant experience of the Customs Union of Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan to optimize the operation of the ports in China and Russia.

As regards roads, railways, and shipping transportation corridors, China and Russia also have significant room for future improvement and development. Both sides had planned and then built several cross-border infrastructures, such as the Tongjiang-Leninskoye railway bridge, a road bridge, and the Heihe-Blagoveshchensk cable car.

Concerning the rail transportation, in 2021 the “China-Europe freight train” was working effectively: it departed from China and arrived in European countries through Russia. Faster than the sea freight and cheaper than air freight, the China-Europe freight train has become an economical and reliable means of transportation from China to Europe. In the future, the efficiency of cross-border railway transportation will increase with the construction of railway infrastructure, the improvement of the quality of railway lines and increase in their electrification. It will reduce carbon emissions and increase competitiveness. Among the current China Railway Express routes, several port stations at Erenhot, Khorgos and Alashankou, pass through Mongolia and Kazakhstan, and then re-enter Russia. In the future, Russian Railways also plans to build new railway lines directly linking the Chinese region of Xinjiang with Russia (National Energy Administration, 2021; Chinese Government, 2017; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2021). If these railways are built, the efficiency of rail transport will increase significantly. However, the existing plan for constructing a new railway is still influenced by geographic and financial considerations, and has not yet entered the actual design and implementation stage.

Regarding the maritime transport, both parties also have several ideas for cooperation in developing and then exploiting the Arctic Sea Route. This route, also called the Polar Silk Road, is the closest sea route from East Asia to Europe and North America (National People’s Congress Deputies…, 2022; Huang, 2021). Going from East Asia to Europe via the Arctic Ocean will save almost half the time and fuel consumption compared to the Malacca-Suez Canal-Mediterranean route. The complexity of navigation in the Arctic is mainly due to the cold and extreme weather conditions. In the context of global warming and gradual reduction of Arctic ice floes, the navigation time in the Arctic region is expected to increase yearly. With the development of the current global warming trend, scientists predict that by about 2030 the Arctic region will be able to enter year-round navigation. China and Russia are also actively building infrastructure along the Arctic route. For example, they are developing railway infrastructure of the ITC “Primorye-2” in the direction of Hunchun - Makhalino (Kamyshovaya) - Zarubino.

Cooperation between the two countries in sustainable transport policy is also reflected in the development of new technologies in the transport sector. China and Russia are cooperating in energy technology, satellite technology, big data, and autonomous driving. They both are implementing new technologies to make transportation more convenient, efficient and safe. For example, with the help of a range of technologies such as satellites, big data and 5G networks, Russia and China are planning to test uncrewed cargo transportation on the Heihe-Blagoveshchensk bridge (Li, 2021; Xu, 2021; An, 2020; Zhu, 2019).

In April 2022, BYD, the number one car company in China by sales of new energy vehicles, announced that it would stop producing carbon fuel-only vehicles. It will thus become the first traditional vehicle manufacturer to stop producing such vehicles, which will mark another significant step for the automobile manufacturing industry towards sustainable transportation and low-carbon green transportation. Green and low carbonization is a future development goal of the automobile manufacturing industry, but there is still a long way to go before this goal is achieved. About 90% of China’s urban transportation energy consumption relies on traditional energy; the pure electric vehicles consume about 15% of green electricity. Therefore, to achieve low-carbon and sustainable transportation, energy generation is to be inseparable from the technological progress and adjustment of energy structure. Active cooperation between China and Russia in many fields and consistent mutual promotion is also conducive to future development of sustainable transportation (see figure 6).

Figure 6. 

China and Russia’s transregional cooperation development. Source: the authors’ vision

In the future, with the gradual renewal and improvement of infrastructure, the use and popularization of new technologies, there is still tremendous room for development and improvement between China and Russia in the transport sector.

Sino-Russia gas cooperation is stable, judging by the distinctive features of stable systems in international relations, such as a) interactions are not doubted most of the time; b) there is a consensus about rules of competition between the participants; and c) relations are characterized by moderation (Liu & Steblyanskaya, 2022).

Having developed Kuznetsov’s transregional framework model and using the case of Sino-Russia transregional cooperation in transport sector, the authors propose priorities for the Russian-Chinese transregional transportation cooperation and the following functions of transport transregionalism: institution-building, skills development for transport cooperation, cooperation in transport technology and safety development, creating conditions for trade and economic cooperation in transport sector, stabilization, balancing, and rationalizing. The authors are confident that Russia and China will gain from their economic cooperation. The advantages of the choice “To be together” will include a long and powerful impulse to develop Siberia and the Far East and tangible benefits from transregional cooperation.

Regional economic cooperation has a profound impact on the world trade and global economic development. China and Russia are the large neighbouring countries that enjoy the advantages of cooperation thanks to the geographical conditions, which in many ways determine the future s Sino-Russian relationships. The two countries certainly have great potential for regional cooperation. Moreover, the current Sino-Russian relations have generally stabilized, they are in line with the two countries’ fundamental interests as they promote future cooperation and development (Wang, 2019; Wang, 2020; Lang, 2021; Fan et al., 2021). Despite the existence of certain negative factors, such as the sanctions policy of the United States and Europe or coronavirus pandemic, that may have some undesirable influence, the overall trend of development and cooperation between the two countries is unlikely to change. The transport industry plays a critical role in international trade between Russia and China and the transport policy of Russia and China has a direct impact on international trade. Long-standing political, cultural and economic projects between China and Russia contribute to the expansion and development of Sino-Russian relations in transport policy and to the construction of new transport corridors (Zou, 2020; Ministry of Public Security of PRC).

China and Russia will continue to strengthen cooperation in transportation infrastructure, building and renovating roads, railways, ports, border crossings and other elements of the existing transportation infrastructure to improve traffic capacity and efficiency. In the same way, China and Russia will cooperate in information technology in the field of transportation, promoting information exchange of satellite navigation systems, the use of 5G mobile communication networks and adoption of new technologies. Cooperation between China and Russia in the green innovation field is also conducive to the development of transportation cooperation: for example, the cooperation between China and Russia in energy sector is expected to help replace traditional energy with clean energy, it is conducive to reducing carbon emissions in the field of transportation; cooperation in energy technology is also a mode of transportation (Meersman et al., 2021). The green transformation of the China-Russia cooperation in the transport system provides an excellent opportunity for development. Ecologically-oriented economic development is the most crucial for China-Russia cooperation in the transport sector. China pays enormous attention to the creation of China’s ecological society through the Belt and Road initiative. The achieving of carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060 is the top priority for China. Thus, the cooperation between China and Russia in the transport sector will be strengthened with the development of ecological legislation, growing cooperation in environmental protection area and advancement of green technology.

This work was supported by Fundamental Research Fund for the Central Universities (Harbin Engineering University) (GK2090260229, GK2090260236) and China ministry of science and technology high-end foreign expert introduction project (DL2021180001L).

We thank future reviewers for attention to our research and helpful comments.