Exploring the remote realities of China's Belt and Road

Little enthusiasm for high-profile projects along the border with Russia

Automobiles, not gleaming high-speed trains, are the preferred mode of transport among locals in the northern Chinese province of Heilongjiang. (Photo by Ankur Shah and Vivek Pisharody)

ANKUR SHAH and VIVEK PISHARODY, Contributing writers

November 8, 2019 12:37 JST

INNER MONGOLIA, China -- On a warm August day in Manzhouli, on China's northeastern border with Russia, workers are unloading truckloads of Russian goods for storage in local warehouses. Later, the goods will be repackaged and reloaded onto Chinese trucks and trains for distribution throughout China.