Russia, China to unveil cable car over the Amur river, TASS says

Russia and China plan to ​unveil a nearly 1-km-long (0.62 miles) ​cable car over ‌the Amur ​river between the cities of Blagoveshensk and Heihe by the end of the year, the ‌TASS state news agency reported on Thursday.

Russia and China plan to ​unveil a nearly 1-km-long (0.62 miles) ​cable car over ‌the Amur ​river between the cities of Blagoveshensk and Heihe by the end of the year, the ‌TASS state news agency reported on Thursday. The countries are extending visa-free travel privileges to one another and China is a key buyer ‌of energy from Russia. Oil and gas flows from Russia ‌to European countries have fallen since it invaded Ukraine in 2022.

The European Union has tightened visa procedures for Russian citizens since then, with tourists redirecting their ⁠travel ​to Asia. China ⁠and Russia agreed to extend their visa-free scheme after President Vladimir Putin's visit to ⁠Beijing this week. An iceberg-shaped cable car terminal is 93% ready, TASS quoted ​a Russian construction company as saying, and two gondolas capable ⁠of carrying 110 people each would rise up to 70m above the Amur ⁠river ​during a two-and-a-half minute journey.

The terminal is expected to include shops, cafes and restaurants, viewing points, a duty-free zone ⁠and a border control checkpoint. The new route should allow people to ⁠pass between the ⁠two cities in about six minutes, TASS said. In June 2022, a bridge was opened between Blagoveshensk ‌and Heihe.