HARBIN — The free trade zone (FTZ) in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province had attracted 196 projects with a total investment of 228.2 billion yuan (about $35.3 billion) as of the end of 2020, according to the provincial economic planner.

Since its inauguration in August 2019, the Heilongjiang FTZ had seen 7,378 enterprises established in its three sections, with one in the provincial capital of Harbin and the other two in the cities of Heihe and Suifenhe on the China-Russia border, by the end of 2020, said the provincial development and reform commission.

The Heilongjiang FTZ has taken a series of measures to attract investment, including promoting online registration, improving business environment and lowering operating costs for foreign trade enterprises.

The province's total foreign trade reached 153.7 billion yuan in 2020, with exports growing 3.2 percent year-on-year to 36.09 billion yuan.