HARBIN - An international port trade expo opened Tuesday in the port city of Suifenhe along China's border with Russia in the northeast province of Heilongjiang.

With a display area of 35,000 square meters, the expo drew over 500 companies from China and 10 other countries, including Russia and the Republic of Korea.

In addition to business talks, a forum on the credit system in China and Russia and another on forestry development in the two countries will be held during the expo, according to Guo Yinghui with the China Chamber of International Commerce, which hosted the event.

Suifenhe is Heilongjiang's largest port to Russia, with 80 percent of the province's cargo exported to Russia passing through the port. In April last year, a key development and opening-up zone was established in the Suifenhe-Dongning area.

Official data showed that the port can handle 6 million passengers and 33 million tons of cargo per year.