The nearly 1,700 county administrations in China see to it that crops are planted and harvested on time, and the more than 500 million rural residents have proper houses to live in, while making efforts to realize sustainable development locally.

The 1,700 counties differ in size, population and development level, with some being as large as Belarus, and the most populous boasting a population of 2.5 million. On the other hand, the smallest county covers just 56 square kilometers and the least populated has fewer than 2,000 residents.

Although the counties are put under the supervision of a nearby big city — be it a municipality, provincial capital or a city with a much stronger economy — in the hope that the "big brother" would support the counties' development, the counties are independent economic bodies which have to cook their own meals with whatever ingredients are available.

"We are lucky to have fertile farmlands and rich fisheries," said Li Dongsheng, executive vicemayor of Fuyuan county in Heilongjiang province. China's easternmost county bordering Russia across two rivers, Fuyuan was designated as a county-level city in 2016. Nearly 400 counties in China have been designated as county-level cities either because their non-agriculture sector comprises a big proportion of the local economy or because they are politically, culturally or geographically important to the country. Fuyuan, with a land port, apparently belongs to the latter category.

Covering an area of 6,242 sq km — almost three times the size of Luxembourg — Fuyuan's black soil and good irrigation system make it ideal for growing corn, beans and rice. The high-quality aquatic products from the Heilongjiang and Wusulijiang rivers are the icing on the cake. Thanks to the rich natural resources and local people's diligence, Fuyuan's nearly 100,000 residents largely lead a comfortable life. Last year, on average, each Fuyuan resident had a bank deposit of more than 130,000 yuan, according to Li Dongsheng.

While the farmers and fishermen of Fuyuan are busy buying cars, building new houses or going on tours, Li and his colleagues are discussing the county's development prospects. Since agriculture makes up 74.7 percent of Fuyuan's GDP, the county government cannot increase its revenue much because raising profits by a big margin or at a rapid pace in the agriculture sector is not possible.

Still, the local government has been promoting mechanization and smart agriculture to boost agricultural development, and a State-owned enterprise has promised to invest 500 million yuan ($70.90 million) to build a smart agriculture park on the banks of the Wusulijiang River, which would create new jobs and could become a model for Fuyuan's agricultural development in the future.

With two rivers flowing through it, the county boasts of a number of wetland parks with fascinating views, which along with the fact that Fuyuan is China's easternmost county, has attracted thousands of visitors to the area, who want to be the first to see sunrise in the country. Last year, 1.67 million tourists visited Fuyuan, according to Li. Li and his colleagues see this as an encouraging sign to turn the county into a hot tourism destination, especially into a summer resort — the average highest and lowest temperatures in Fuyuan in August are 24.7 and 18.4 degrees Celsius.

While efforts are being made to attract more investors and turn tourism into a pillar industry, the Fuyuan county government has made it its priority to promote cooperation between China and Russia in Heixiazidao (Black Bear Island). Sandwiched between Heilongjiang and Wusulijiang rivers, the 335-sq-km island was divided into two parts in 2008, with China and Russia exercising jurisdiction over one part each.

The unique phenomenon of one inland island being governed by two countries has turned the island into a hot tourist destination. To make it convenient for tourists, Russia and China have built a bridge each connecting the mainland with the island. Some recent reports suggest China and Russia may jointly develop the island as an attractive tourist destination.

A friendly border and a busy inland port will greatly benefit Fuyuan, by attracting more domestic and international investments and talents, thus ensuring the county's sustainable development.

The author is former deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily.

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