China and Russia have reached an agreement on how to protect and develop the island, with ecological protection taking top priority in the island's development.One hundred and fifty Chinese tourists landed on the Chinese part of Heixiazi Island.
One hundred and fifty Chinese tourists landed on the Chinese part of Heixiazi Island, a Sino-Russian border island in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on Wednesday morning.
The 335-square-km island was the last disputed area on the Sino-Russian border, and Chinese were not allowed on the island for more than 80 years.
However, as the result of a recent border settlement agreement between China and Russia, half of the island now belongs to China, with the other half going to Russia.
China and Russia have reached an agreement on how to protect and develop the island, with ecological protection taking top priority in the island's development.
A planned wetland nature reserve will eventually cover an area of 131 square km, or 75 percent of the Chinese share of the island, with the rest set aside to be developed for trade and tourism. The local government will create regulations concerning the protection of the island's ecosystem.
Russia will also open its half to tourists, but has not established a timetable for doing so, according to the Sino-Russian development plan.
Russia's Information Telegraph Agency (ITAR-TASS) said on January 12 that the country will spend 19.3 billion rubles (687 million U.S. dollars) to build an international recreation center with a hotel, a water park and more than 470 residences on the island.
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