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 over 11,800 domestic and foreign companies from 59 countries and regions, including guests from Russia, Japan, the United States and the European Union.

Compared with the Canton Fair, which has a relatively longer history, Harbin Trade Fair seems to be less experienced. However, its significance has helped forge an inextricable tie between China and Russia, and northeast Asian nations. Its reputation as an international trade fair has been bolstered, as Russia's economy has grown stronger in the world economic arena.

Its influence is shown in its total trade value, which has been doubling year after year, surging to $101.36 billion in 2007 from approximately $2 billion in 1990 when the first fair was held, and outpacing the growth rate of the Canton Fair.

This year, Russia sent out a large delegation with members from the government alongside private companies. They made up a considerable presence at the trade fair. In response to Russian companies' great enthusiasm in attending the event, the organizing committee set up a special "Russia Business Day" to provide a more convenient platform for trade negotiations between Russia and China, as well as Russia's ties with the northeast Asian nations.

The Trade Representation of the Russian Federation in the People's Republic of China made a grand showcase in the Harbin Trade Fair, shouldering the responsibility of promoting trade relations between Russia and China. Its senior expert Sumer Palkin told Beijing Review that the Representation had attended the fair six times, and that the event is becoming ever more prosperous each year. In fluent Chinese, Mr. Palkin said, "The purpose of us attending the trade fair is to help Chinese companies to better understand Russia." He said Russia has sound trade ties with China's three northeastern provinces (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning). "We need to import clothes, fur, food and shoes from China, while China needs our oil, gas, timber and chemical products," said Mr. Palkin. "But one little defect is that Russia's mechanical and electrical export to China is very limited. We hope to promote such exports to China. That is also one of our important purposes of attending the trade fair."

This year's Harbin Trade Fair also attracted many guests from the European Union. It is the second time the Netherlands AgriBusiness Support Office (in Harbin) has attended the fair. This year in attending the fair, it represents 45 Netherlands companies, most of which are agriculture-related. Its Chief Representative Erik Baudoin told Beijing Review that his major responsibility is to promote the agricultural and animal husbandry cooperation between China and the Netherlands, especially in terms of dairy products production. "We have nearly 10 support offices in China, two of which, in Kunming and Harbin, are agricultural-oriented. Several years ago, after thorough research, we found out Heilongjiang's raw milk production accounts for one half of the whole China. Then we immediately decided to establish a support office in Harbin to promote bilateral dairy cooperation."

"Netherlands is a big agricultural country; while Heilongjiang is a big agricultural province," Mr. Baudoin said. "We believe the cooperation will be a huge success."

Esko Riepula, a guest from Finland, is also deeply impressed by Harbin. "I came here one and a half years ago for the international ice festival in Harbin. The city was very beautiful at that time. This year, I came here with the Finland delegation in the hope of getting to know the trade and investment environment in China through such a big event and to find out any possible cooperation opportunities."

Sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Harbin municipal government and the provincial governments of Heilongjiang and Zhejiang, the fair has invited top transnational corporations and purchasing professionals.

This year's fair includes 2,000 indoor displays and 600 outdoor booths in 20,000 square meters of exhibition tents. Exhibition pavilions range from hi-tech and investment, to foods, arts and crafts, garments, machinery and electric products. Other events include those for transnational procurement, energy saving and environmental protection, financing and pollution-free food.

Nations slated to each host a business day include Russia, South Korea, the United States, Belarus, Japan and Canada. As well as these, a day highlighting the special Heilongjiang-Finland partnership will be part of the program.

The number of overseas traders attending the fair is expected to surpass 12,000 this year, hitting a record high.

Begun in 1990, the fair has grown into a large international expo authorized by the Chinese Government and now seen as an important forum for investment and technological cooperation in northeast Asia. Over the years, the aggregate number of guests attending the fair surpassed 1.4 million, reaching a total estimated trade value of over $100 billion.