A guest (C) learns about an industrial-level drone at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Economy Expo 2026 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 6, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Song)
HARBIN, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Heikki Kontiosalo, deputy speaker of the city council of Rovaniemi in Finland, is impressed by China's evolving winter equipment, he told Xinhua as he stood surrounded by products on show at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Expo in Harbin, the capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.
Industrial-grade unmanned snow-removal machines, snowmobiles and carbon fiber skis on display demonstrate how snow and ice in Harbin have evolved from a natural resource into a global attraction for business and innovation, Kontiosalo said.
He noted that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Harbin and Rovaniemi, and expressed the hope that the expo would be a platform for Rovaniemi to share its experience in cold-region infrastructure optimization and ice-and-snow technology research, while deepening cooperation with its Chinese and international partners.
Opening on Tuesday in China's famed "Ice City," the inaugural Harbin International Ice and Snow Expo has drawn diplomats, city representatives, business leaders and experts from more than 20 countries and regions to discuss emerging opportunities in the global ice and snow economy.
According to Zhen Changyu, director of the Harbin municipal bureau of commerce, the expo spans more than 20,000 square meters and features one central exhibition zone along with six themed zones, aiming to present global investors a comprehensive view of cutting-edge development in related sports, culture, equipment manufacturing and tourism.
Yang Xueliang, senior vice president of major Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, said that many exhibits highlight the integration of technology and green development concepts -- a key trend shaping the future of the ice and snow economy.
He noted that Geely is accelerating its development of methanol-hydrogen-power vehicles to address challenges posed by extremely cold environments, offering sustainable transportation solutions for harsh climate conditions.
Yin Jingwei, president of Harbin Engineering University, introduced the university's latest technological innovations at the expo, including polar-operation unmanned aerial vehicles and vessels equipped with polar fuel systems.
These technologies have already been put into practical use, he said, and the university is ready to provide further technical support for enterprises developing specialized winter transport equipment.
At the opening ceremony, eight institutions related to the ice and snow economy were officially launched, including research laboratories, industry-education alliances and international academic platforms.
Participants said the move will help synergize policy, industrial and research resources, injecting sustained momentum into the fast-growing economic sector.
Zhang Yiming, managing director of China International Capital Corporation, said that China's dual carbon goals, rising consumption power and expanding cross-border demand are driving the country's ice and snow industry to extend beyond traditional products into areas such as equipment manufacturing, creating unprecedented opportunities for international cooperation and investment.
"Investing in the ice and snow economy is investing in a future of vitality and promise," said Jiang Jun, vice mayor of Harbin.
As the origin of modern winter sports in China, the city recorded a total ice and snow economic output exceeding 160 billion yuan (about 22.8 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024, accounting for about one-sixth of the national total, official data showed.
Harbin is now accelerating efforts to build a modern ice and snow industrial cluster, and to establish a new, open platform for global cooperation, Jiang added.
China is positioning the ice and snow economy as a major driver of development and consumption, and its scale is expected to reach 1.2 trillion yuan by 2027 and 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030.
A report from the China Tourism Academy shows that the country's ice and snow economy exceeded a scale of 1 trillion yuan in 2025, with more than 14,000 tourism-related ice and snow enterprises operating nationwide.
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