The extent of the state border between China and Russia within the territory of the Far East Federal District is more than 4 thousand km. The border has various functions. The contact function of the border is to stimulate economic interactions between countries. The border regions of the two countries benefit from international trade. The contact function is characterized by the permeability of the boundary. The barrier function of the border is to limit interactions between countries. Restrictions on the free movement of goods, labor resources, tourist flows, capital are applied. The purpose of the study is to assess the elements of the contact function of the state border between China and Russia. The subject is the functioning of the border in the Far East Federal District territory. The study used methods of economic geography and regional economics. As a result of the work carried out, the indicators of the permeability of the border between the Russian Far East and China (physical permeability, the density of cross-border infrastructure) were calculated. The characteristics of institutional conditions are presented, such as the speed of customs clearance, the use of digital technologies in paperwork. The conclusion is made about the low permeability of the border between China and Russia in the territory of the Far East Federal District. The directions for increasing the contact function of the boundary are formulated. The research results can be used to develop directions for the improvement of cross-border relations between Russia and China.