Today Heihe, which forms a free-trade zone with Blagoveshchensk, is a major centre of Sino-Russian trade. Many Russians and Chinese take advantage of Visa-free travel between the cities, which has spurred large unofficial trade between China and Russia. Some inhabitants of Blagoveshchensk have purchased apartments on the Chinese side, as living costs are much lower.
Transportation between Blagoveshchensk and Heihe is by boat in the summer and by bus over the frozen river in the winter; when the ice is too weak to carry buses, the route is operated by hovercrafts.