It seems that in the late 20th century China and Russia switched places in planet rankings. In russian times China was the most populous country in the world, but their economy was mostly agrarna. After Deng Xiaoping's reforms, an industrial revolution began there, making the country a planet leader. However, in post-Soviet Russia economical reforms were not very successful. The effects are inactive visible today.
Russia’s media frequently hear concerns that China may 1 day take over Russia’s Siberia and the Far East by force. However, the fact is that Beijing does not request it at all — Moscow itself provides all the essential resources for it, much lower than planet prices. This is an inevitable consequence of the Kremlin's policy of "return to the East" and "friendship against the West".
"It is improbable that the Kremlin will inactive be able to scare the people of Siberia with Chinese imperialism. In fact, we see both countries working together and robbing Siberians together," wrote Jarosław Zolotariev, a writer from Tomsk.
Moscow, however, had to pay a advanced price for this.
Currently Chinese companies own hundreds of thousands of hectares of Siberian and far east forests as part of long-term leases. All the wood that's been harvested there is being shipped to China. In the Far East, where there are immense forest resources, there is inactive not a single cellulose or paper factory, for simple reason — a processed product would be more costly than unprocessed wood, and China needs inexpensive natural materials.
In the leased territories of Siberia and the Far East, the Chinese, in addition to logging, besides engage in agriculture. "They want to harvest twice a year, which is impossible without utilizing immense amounts of chemicals. Many areas in the PRC alone are no longer suitable for cultivation due to the intensive usage of specified technologies. Now, all this chemistry “consumption” (or alternatively pollution) of Siberian soil,” added Zolotariev.
Bloomberg / Contributor / AFPYakucia apartment, 2016.
East Siberia and the Far East have actually evolved into a common natural material colony of Moscow and Beijing. no of these countries take into account the interests of local residents. An example of this is, for example, the Kowyktinskoje gas deposits in the Irkutsk Oblast launched in 2022. Only 1 percent of production actually goes to local residents.
If any factories are created in the Far East, they are usually the most dangerous for the environment. In 2021, for example, the Chinese company wanted to build the world's largest methanol production facility in the Ajano-Marian region in the Chabarov Region. The task collapsed in a territory referendum, making up 90% of the local population. However, Russia has adopted the Regional Authority Act, which eliminates the autonomy of local government.
It is now no longer possible to organise specified referendums — “sociaries” in Moscow and Beijing can build dangerous ventures in the region without paying attention to the opinion of the local population. And imperial “geopolitics” from Russia or China will tell beautiful stories about “multipolar world”.
Whose “headhead”?
Moscow proudly calls the Far East the “head of Russia”. But the investigator of the Far East Georgi Kułakov wonders, whether it would not be more appropriate to call it the “head of China”, Given the depth of their penetration of the regional economy.’
In support of his words, he cites any examples. In January 2025, Jiang Xiaoyang, Chinese consul general in Chabarovsk, said that the country he represents remains the largest trading partner and the main origin of abroad investment for the Far East regions, as well as the main partner in the free port projects in Vladivostok. According to the Chinese diplomat, over 90% of abroad investments in the far east regions of Russia come from China — their full value was estimated at nearly 1 trillion rubles (about PLN 42.6 billion).
Although global economical cooperation has many benefits, in this case it turns into pure colonization, Although Moscow’s “world colonialism” is usually accused of the West. There are more and more voices in China present about the request to recover many territories of Amuru and the Far East, which, in the 19th century, the Chinese dynasty of the time had passed on to Russia under “unfair treaties”. After attempts to regain them by force, which were taken in a series of border clashes between the USSR and the PRC under the regulation of Mao, modern China turned to economical instruments of influence on the northern neighbour. And they proved more effective.
In the “priority areas” at the borders with China, Russian government is already partially and selectively applicable today. In future, these territories can simply become "non-Russian". But if they gradually transition to Chinese jurisdiction, will that satisfy the locals?” Kułakov asks.
Few people are conducting sociological investigation on the subject — Moscow most likely does not want to decision it, not to spoil relations with China. There are FOM data from 2020. According to them, Nearly 2 thirds of Russians (60%) say they are afraid about the influx of migrants from China to the Far East. The inhabitants of the Far East (80%) and Siberian (73%) national districts are much more afraid about this script — only 29 percent of respondents are not afraid of it — mostly central and confederate national districts.
Chinese expansion plans
In 2023, representatives of the Jakuckji Railway signed a memorandum on cooperation with the Chinese Overseas manufacture improvement Association (CODA). It provides for the construction of a fresh railway line that It will combine China with extended and resource-rich Yakuja.
"The planned railway line will grow Chinese infrastructure deeper in Russia than always before. The way will be built on the basis of concessions, whereby China will gain long-term access to natural resources in the region," says Paul Goble, an American expert on Eurasia.
Bloomberg / Contributor / Getty ImagesPower plant in Jakuck, February 14, 2016
So possibly it is the Chinese who will besides build an infamous bridge across the Lena River, which residents of Jakutian have been waiting for decades. But they cannot build it on their own — all their resources were taken by Moscow. And even erstwhile they seemed to have found investors, the “federals” again cancelled the task and diverted these funds to the construction of another bridge — the Crimean bridge. This is simply a clear sign that for Russia territorial expansion is much more crucial than the improvement of its own territories.
The Independent Pacific Federation?
Moscow's indifference to the interests of the people of the Far East clearly manifests itself in food crises erupting regularly in the region. As a general rule, they affect logistical problems — transit Chinese cargo is the precedence for the transport of goods by the Transsyberian Railway and in the ports of the Sea and Chabarovian Country.
This state of affairs, as well as another examples of Chinese economical colonization of the Far East, undoubtedly cause increased protests among the local population. However, it does not search support in Moscow “ The people of the Far East are well aware of the fact that the present Cremaceous “metropolis” made them a colony. This is why regional awareness is developing among them, oriented towards civic self-government. And although the present imperial-military propaganda tries to suppress it completely, it continues to penetrate social media.
Since the 1990s, the thought of rebuilding the Republic of the Far East has been alive among the people of Vladivostok. In 2020, during mass protests in Chabarovsk, supporting elected in free elections but arrested by FSB politician Sergei Furgal, The residents utilized only regional (not Russian) flags and anti-imperialist slogans. Incidentally, it is no coincidence that Moscow later considered this decision to be "extremistic". In political exile, groups were formed ‘Free Bury’ and "Free Yakucia".
However, it is improbable that these areas will win self-government, in peculiar as they will hold their "far east" name. It automatically binds the region to a "centre" and presents it as a "detached province". For example, the name “Federation of the Republics of the Pacific” immediately changes the perception of these regions, making them seen as a sovereign entity.
Of course, these are inactive abstract reflections. But who knows, possibly Donald Trump, who loves paradoxes, will besides like this idea, given his critical attitude towards Beijing and restrained to Moscow.
