Chinese rust-belt city Hegang gambles on new airport, Russian trade to fuel revival
a rust-belt city near China's northeastern border with Russia, marks a high-stakes effort at economic revival in a place better known for its cheap housing – where homes once sold for as little as 20,000 yuan (US$2,790), analysts said.
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The initiative is part of a broader effort to revive the city's economy after years of stagnant growth, industrial decline and a shrinking population. Hegang's local population has dropped from about 1.1 million in the 2010s to 850,000 today, while its GDP decreased from 40.92 billion yuan (US$5.7 billion) in 2022 to 38.02 billion in 2024, according to official data.
Earlier this month, Hegang announced via its official WeChat account that construction on Luobei Airport would begin soon. The airport – backed by an estimated investment of 1.2 billion yuan – is scheduled to open in 2027.
Once completed, it is expected to accommodate 450,000 passengers and 1,600 tonnes of cargo annually, with a 2,500-metre runway and a 5,008-square-metre terminal, the local government said on July 1.
'Hegang's airport is emblematic of how many small and mid-sized cities are trying to seek breakthroughs through the country's new round of infrastructure,' said David Wong, a lecturer at Hang Seng University in Hong Kong, who has researched the link between air transport and regional inequality.
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He added that the new airport could bring practical benefits, as areas with inadequate air links face enormous challenges in catching up with better-connected urban regions.
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