BRIDGING ECONOMIES: Harbin Trade Fair is supposed to boost China-foreign trade relations on the northern border, and it attracted about 12,000 visitors this year (SHI GANG)

Harbin, the provincial capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, has long been well known to the world for its cold climate, and especially for its annual ice festival in December. But each summer from June 15 to 19, the city has another mission: to hold an international trade fair-the International China Harbin Fair for Trade and Economic Cooperation (Harbin Trade Fair).

The Harbin Trade Fair adheres to the principle of "focusing on Russia, looking on northeast Asia, covering the world, and serving the whole nation." The 19th Harbin Trade Fair this year attracted about 12,000 domestic and foreign companies from 60 countries and regions, including guests from Russia, Japan, the United States and the European Union.

The Harbin Trade Fair in the far north of China is like a smaller version of south China's Canton Fair. The former is expected to enhance trade ties with Russia and the bordering nations of the north, while the latter is more focused on American and European markets.

Though younger compared with Canton Fair, Harbin Trade Fair's influence is shown in its total trade value, which has been soaring year after year, surging to $25 billion in 2008 from approximately $2 billion in 1990 when the first fair was held, and outpacing the growth rate of the Canton Fair.

This year, the total contracts signed with foreign countries and regions were valued at $10.6 billion, up 3.5 percent from that of last year; while domestic contracts were valued at 101 billion yuan ($14.4 billion), growing 10.4 percent.