On August 30, 2019, the unveiling ceremony and the start-up conference of China (Heilongjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) was held in Harbin. China Post Group signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the People’s Government of Heilongjiang Province after that. Present at the signing ceremony were Zhang Qingwei, Secretary of Heilongjiang Provincial Committee of the CPC, Wang Wentao, Governor of Heilongjiang Province, Zhang Yupu, member of the Standing Committee of the Heilongjiang Provincial Committee of the CPC, Shen Ying, Vice-Governor of Heilongjiang Province, Liu Aili, Chairman of China Post Group, Zhang Jinliang, President of China Post Group, and others. Shen Ying and Zhang Jinliang signed the agreement on behalf of both parties.

Accelerating the implementation of FTZ strategy is an important component of China’s new round of reform and opening-up. On August 26, China unveiled a master plan for six new pilot free trade zones. Covering the 3 areas of Harbin, Heihe and Suifenhe, the Heilongjiang pilot FTZ is the nation’s northernmost one. Situated in the central area of Northeast Asia, Heilongjiang Province is the frontier of China’s opening up to Northeast Asia and Russia, an important fulcrum of China-Russia-Mongolia Economic Corridor, thus playing an important role in China’s reform and opening-up. The establishment of the Heilongjiang pilot FTZ is an important move to build Heilongjiang into China's open window to the north, to accelerate the construction of China-Russia-Mongolia Economic Corridor and to contribute to the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative.

On the occasion of the ceremony, China Post Group reached a strategic cooperation agreement with Heilongjiang provincial government. According to the agreement, China Post will integrate and optimize its trade financial products, intensify its application of financial technology and provide financial support for the improvement of infrastructure connectivity in the Heilongjiang FTZ, thereby supporting the construction of cross-border industrial chains and industrial parks and nurturing new business models. As Helongjiang Province is the core area of the China-Russia-Mongolia Economic Corridor, China Post aims to provide service to its export-oriented industrial system and build cross-border business cooperation platforms with Russia, Europe and Northeast Asia. Leveraging its network advantages, China Post will provide multi-currency settlement services for foreign trade customers in main China-Russia trade ports in Helongjiang Province, and render comprehensive financial services of RMB and foreign currencies to facilitate the enterprises in Heilongjiang Province to go global. Moreover, it will provide integrated services of “warehousing + shipping + finance” for e-commerce companies in Heilongjiang Province in a bid to boost the development of its e-commerce industry.

Heilongjiang provincial government, on the other hand, will assist China Post in conducting various services within the province by fostering a healthy development pattern of industries and a sound atmosphere for government-bank cooperation in the aspects of industrial planning, policy enactment, financial system stability and innovation. Heilongjiang Province will take China Post as the main channel for cross-border e-commerce logistics, giving supportive policy to China Post for its cross-border e-commerce to Russia. It will also encourage local businesses to register on ule.com (an online e-commerce platform of China Post) to boost the sales of famous, featured and high-quality local products in Heilongjiang Province.

According to the agreement, both parties will cooperate in such areas as urban and rural convenience services, supporting issues related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers，inclusive finance, warehousing, mail transportation, development of local cultural industry, and so on, for the purpose of further improving the public service system in Heilongjiang Province, assisting the new and old kinetic energy conversion, taking the opening up in border areas to a higher level, and pushing forward the formation of a new pattern of the all-round opening-up.