IT IS ALREADY DIFFICULT TO DO WITHOUT THEM
A. G. LARIN, Candidate of Historical Sciences
The majority of Chinese migrants in Russia are businessmen. According to the Federal Migration Service, out of more than 200 thousand people, 60% of Chinese registered in Russia work in trade and - in a small number-repair of consumer goods.1 In turn, the vast majority of merchants are small entrepreneurs and employees of small firms. What they do in China is called "people's", i.e. unofficial, retail trade and is the lowest, simplest type of commercial activity.
Over the years of its existence in the Russian Federation, i.e. since the beginning of the 90s, the Chinese people's trade has undergone significant qualitative changes. Most importantly, the initial barter exchange, which was monstrously unequal with a bias in favor of the Chinese side, was replaced by the usual commodity form of trade. Further, instead of the "shuttles" that dragged their goods, a network of intermediaries appeared, and then the manufacturers themselves began to sell their products. The quality of Chinese goods has improved, and their range has become much more diverse: previously it was clothing, shoes, and hats; now it is almost any household items, including complex electronic products. If initially the trade was conducted by the provinces of North-Eastern and Northern China, then solid firms from the southern coastal provinces joined them. Narodnye Tradesmen began to think more about trade brands. "In Russia," the Chinese press notes with chagrin, " almost everyone uses goods from China, but buyers will not name a single Chinese brand. And the sellers themselves are not far away from them. Russian labels are pasted on Chinese kinescopes " 2.
"FATEFUL" RESOLUTION
However, the development of people's trade, its volumes and forms are determined not only by the desire of Chinese entrepreneurs to strengthen their positions in the Russian market, but also by the measures taken by the Russian side in order to maximize their own interests. The most significant measure of this kind taken in recent years was the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 683 of November 15, 2006, which prohibited the employment of foreign workers in retail trade in tents and markets and, in general, outside stores from April 1, 2007.3
By that time, tens of thousands of merchants from China - half of them, according to some experts - had sold their goods at bargain prices and left their rented places for their homeland. Counters in the markets were laid bare, a number of markets in the cities of the Far East were closed altogether. Prices have risen, however, partly due to inflation. A strong blow was dealt to both the poor strata of Russian consumers and entrepreneurs from the PRC. The Russian authorities were forced to reassure seriously concerned Chinese partners that the reform is not aimed at Chinese businesses, its only goal is to streamline trade in Russian markets.
It was in this spirit that Chinese officials, in turn, gave explanations to their merchants, urging them to strictly comply with Russian laws, follow all procedures related to the registration of their activities, and look for new forms of trade that meet modern conditions. Government assistance was promised.
The new forms of trade consisted of the Chinese hiring Russian citizens to stand behind the counter, while registering themselves as employers, tenants, or part-time workers. Another option was to transfer trading from the market to the store. Partly with the help of these techniques, and partly without them, Chinese (as well as Vietnamese, etc.) trade gradually began to gain momentum again. The number of entrepreneurs from China began to grow, although it did not reach the previous level. The issue of banning retail trade, which was once actively discussed in the Russian media, simply died down in 2008.
From this story, we can conclude that at this stage of development of our economy, the Russian consumer and the Chinese merchant need each other. Therefore, it is important for us to have a more or less clear picture of Chinese merchants.
WHO GOES TO TRADE IN RUSSIA AND WHY
What contributes and what hinders their work? How do they assess their living conditions in Russia, what do they think about Russians, and what are their plans for the future?
To get answers to these questions, a survey was organized, which was commissioned by the All-Russian Center for Sociological Research (VTsIOM) in 2007, using questionnaires compiled by us.
Surveys of Chinese migrants in Russia are conducted infrequently: this is much more difficult than probing the views of our compatriots. From among the largest ones
* This work was supported by the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Academic Exchange, Taipei.
page 28
It is possible to name the research of G. Vitkovskaya and Zh. Zayonchkovskaya 4 (in 1998-1999), V. G. Gelbras 5 (in 1998-1999 and 2002), AL. Zabiyako, R. A. Kobyzov and R. A. Lonkratova 6 (in 2002-2004).
Our survey covered 700 Chinese people, half of them in Moscow and half in the cities of the Far East: equally in Vladivostok, Khabarovsk and Blagoveshchensk. Among the respondents, 60% were male and 40% were female, they were distributed by age groups as follows: 18-24 years-23%, 25-34 years-36%, 35-44 years-28%, 45-59 years-12%, 60 years and older -1%. Almost all of them have an education not lower than secondary school of the first stage, and a fifth - even higher. The overwhelming majority of respondents (69%) turned out to be family people.
60% of the migrants came to Russia from Heilongjiang Province and two other provinces in the Northeast. The majority of them - 78% - are residents of cities or "small towns" (Zhen). However, as it turned out, rural residents (21%) are already involved in external migration.
The survey data show the diversity of occupations of migrants in their homeland: from the head of a state institution to a student, housewife and unemployed person.
The largest share among them (83%) was made up of workers. They also include downsized employees who are not formally registered as unemployed and have passed into the category of "waiting for work". The share of those who are officially considered unemployed is small (6%), and this is typical for all previous surveys, which we mentioned above.
Next in number to the workers are the " peasant-workers "or" workers from the peasants " (11%) -yesterday's peasants, who make up the lower stratum of the urban working class. Along with them (also 11%) are lower - level civil servants with their small but reliable earnings: it turns out that for this category of workers, income from small (where can they get capital for large?) trading in Russia can be quite attractive.
A small proportion of peasants (5%) means that at the same time-
Table 1*
Why did you decide to go to Russia?
Sent to work
8
Couldn't find a job in China
40
I was looking for a better job
45
I wanted to get an education in Russia
5
Other
2
No response
0
Total
100
the villagers who went to Russia are people who have already left the land and are engaged in local industry - there are many of them in the Chinese village.
CHINESE EARNINGS ARE SMALL
The tables below with our comments give an idea of Chinese migration to Russia.
As you can see, almost half of the migrants went to Russia in search of more profitable work, and almost the same number-fleeing from unemployment.
By occupation in Russia, more than half of the respondents declared themselves individual entrepreneurs, while only 4% were co-owners or managers of enterprises. At the same time, there were one and a half times more employees of Chinese enterprises than of Russian ones: 15% versus 9% (see Table 2).
Table 2
What is your occupation in Russia?
Head/Deputy. head of the Russian representative office of a Chinese or joint venture company (registered in China)
1
Employee of such a representative office
4
Co-owner of a Chinese company in Russia
1
Co-owner of a joint Russian-Chinese enterprise
2
I work for a Chinese company in Russia
9
I work for a joint Russian-Chinese enterprise in Russia
5
I work for a Russian company
9
Independent entrepreneur, individual seller
53
Family member (dependent)
1
I'm temporarily out of work
3
Other
12
Total
100
The answers to another question - about the scale of companies in which respondents work - also indicate the absolute predominance of small and very small or individual enterprises: their share was 58% (see Table 3).
It should be noted that individuals who have declared themselves individual entrepreneurs are not always such in the full sense of the word. Many of them work under a contract or oral agreement with the supplier of goods and do not form an independent enterprise. By this
Table 3
How do you assess the scale of the company you work for (which you own)?
A large one
6
Average
35
Small
21
Very small, individual company
37
I find it difficult to answer
1
No response
1
Total
100
* This table and all other tables, unless otherwise specified, show percentages of the number of responses, including "zero" responses. For single-answer questions, this number is equal to the number of respondents. In all other cases, the number of responses taken as 100% is given in parentheses. The number of respondents by city is indicated above.
page 29
Table 4
How do you assess your financial situation in Russia?
Very good
5
Good
16
Average, acceptable
60
Bad news
14
Very bad
1
I find it difficult to answer
3
Total
100
Table 5
If possible, please indicate your monthly income (in rubles).
Less than 5 thousand rubles.
21
From 5 thousand to 20 thousand rubles.
61
From 20 thousand to 40 thousand rubles.
9
From 40 thousand to 100 thousand rubles.
2
From 100 thousand to 300 thousand rubles.
2
Over 300 thousand rubles.
1
I find it difficult to answer
2
No response
2
Total
100
Table 6
Do you help anyone in China with money?
Family members
58
Other relatives
6
To your friends
10
Fellow countrymen in the village
3
To someone else
2
No, I'm not helping anyone, because there's no need
10
I don't help you, because I don't have any funds
5
My relatives help me
5
I find it difficult to answer
0
Total
100
This explains why in Table 3 the percentage of individual enterprises, even combined with very small ones (37%), is less than the number of "independent entrepreneurs, individual sellers" (53%) in Table 2.
The survey confirms that the most typical figure among Chinese migrants is a small - time merchant: a free entrepreneur, or a merchant who is in a contractual relationship with a firm, or its employee.
For labor migrants, of course, the main issue is their earnings, i.e. their financial situation. As can be seen from Table 4, the overwhelming majority of migrants assess their financial situation as "average, acceptable". Ratings of "good" plus "very good" are slightly higher than "bad" plus "very bad" (21% vs. 15%). The lowest number of those who achieved a "very good" position, and those who found themselves in a "very bad" one, and others - a single percentage.
A clearer picture can be seen in Table 5, where revenues are shown in real terms.
It follows that the vast majority of respondents-82% - are satisfied with earnings of up to 20 thousand rubles. Similar data were published by E. Vishnik, who surveyed 250 migrants who returned from Russia in Heilongjiang Province in 2003.7: 3.6% of her respondents earn less than 1,000 yuan (approximately 3,000 yuan). rub. when converted to the dollar), 36.4% - from 1000 to 3000 yuan (i.e. up to 9 thousand rubles), 37.2% - from 3000 to 5000 yuan (up to 15 thousand rubles). rubles). Thus, 77.2% of respondents have earnings in the range of 15 thousand rubles.
The figures given here suggest that the earnings of the majority of Chinese migrants are currently quite modest. They are quite comparable to the average earnings of Russian workers in the same professions, and therefore the idea that the former take away the "bread places" from the latter - one of the favorite arguments of our xenophobes - is nothing more than a myth.
It is possible, of course, that migrants, just in case, underestimate their income, as well as the assessment of their financial situation. Therefore, in order to clarify, it is useful to compare the results of surveys with data that occasionally appear in the Chinese media. So, in one of the Chinese publications, you can read: "Since June 1996, farmers from the village of Sihecun began to travel to Moscow. According to the secretary of the village party organization, the village has 650 yards, more than 2 thousand inhabitants, 700 of them are engaged in trade in Moscow. For a year in Moscow, it was possible to earn from 50-60 thousand to 1 million yuan. The peasant Zhou Keqin has a family of four. Previously, the family's annual income did not exceed a thousand yuan. In 1998, the Zhou family went to Moscow. Now in Moscow for a year, he can earn 400 thousand yuan, or even more. Not only did Zhou get his own house, but he also bought two trucks and took up transportation. According to incomplete data, the farmers of Sihezun bring 40 million yuan a year from Moscow. " 8
Dividing this amount by 700 peasant merchants and 12 months, we get 4,760 yuan per month, or about 15,000 yuan. rubles, which is quite consistent with the responses of our respondents.
Let's not forget that migrants must not only eat out of their earnings, but also pay for housing, pay bribes, etc. Moreover, as can be seen from Table 6, many migrants are forced to help their relatives in China financially. Only a tenth of them have the opportunity not to provide such assistance, since there is no need for it, another 5% do not help due to lack of funds, and another 5%, on the contrary, use the help of relatives themselves.
For the most part, migrants enjoy very modest housing conditions: only 22% rent an apartment, 33% live in one room or apartment with several companions, and 5% live in one room or apartment with one companion.
Of course, they often use me-
page 30
better housing than we could have done, just to save money. However, as the survey shows, savings often extend to the necessary areas: food, clothing and shoes, and medical services. Table 7 shows how significant the proportion of migrants who are forced to limit themselves in these types of consumption is. (It shows percentages of the number of respondents, i.e. from 700; the sum of percentages is more than 100, since the question asked allowed for more than one answer; a total of 1,299 answers were given.)
The opportunity to indulge in nothing turned out to be a privilege of a clear minority of respondents (see Table 7).
Table 7
Did you have to give up any of the following items due to lack of money?
Buying essential food items
32
Purchase of necessary clothing and shoes
20
A trip to your homeland during the Spring Festival
51
Treatment and restoration of health
48
From something else
2
None of these things had to be abandoned
30
No response
0
Total
700
Table 8
How does your employer treat you?
Well
25
Medium
41
Badly
1
I find it difficult to answer
2
I'm not self-employed
31
No response
0
Total
100
Table 9
How do you rate your compatriots as business partners?
They are not completely reliable
7
They are more reliable than their Russian partners
24
They are quite reliable, you can rely on them
45
I find it difficult to answer
24
Total
100
Table 10
How do you spend your free time?
I watch TV, videos, and go online
23
Spending time with Chinese friends
17
I spend time with my Russian friends
5
I participate in the work of Chinese public organizations
1
I go to Chinese clubs
0
I go to a religious society meeting
0
I visit movies and theaters
2
Getting to know the city
9
Walking, shopping
5
I go to restaurants, cafes, discos
1
I play sports
3
Spending time with my family
12
I have very little free time and almost no rest
22
Other
1
No response
0
Total
100
(1186)
WHAT IS THE STRENGTH OF THE CHINESE COMMUNITY?
There is an opinion that the Chinese community has a special cohesion that turns it almost into a secret organization and gives it the opportunity to win back lucrative sectors of the economy from local competitors. Does the Chinese community in Russia have such internal cohesion?
The question is purely rhetorical. We can only state that the conditions of its existence in our country do not favor this and at the same time do not require it. Indeed, Chinese migrants are neither Russian citizens nor permanent residents, they are not rooted in the Russian environment, and they do not invest any significant capital in it. In our survey, the majority of respondents (69%) have lived in Russia for no more than five years. Meanwhile, trusting relationships, as you know, are developed over years of joint work. On the other hand, there is no special need for such links, since the mentioned competitive struggle, if present, is only in the most sluggish form. One way or another, the "invisible force" that stems from the supposed solidity of the Chinese community has yet to manifest itself.
Another thing is that relations in the Chinese community as a whole are quite stable and balanced. True, there are episodes of intense struggle between influential Laoban masters who control a particular sector of the community and sometimes resort to sophisticated methods of eliminating their rivals. There is also no doubt about the existence of everyday friction between employers and employees. However, there is nothing unusual in either of them, either in the nature of the contradictions or in their acuteness. The majority of employees (66%), as shown in Table 8, are satisfied with the attitude of the employer.
Similarly, the overwhelming majority of respondents see their compatriots as fairly reliable partners (see Table 9).
This certainly contributes to the effective work of the Chinese community. But its real strength lies primarily in the cheapness of the goods it offers, provided by the cheapness of the labor invested in them and the support of the Chinese authorities through skillful economic measures. Plus, of course, the modest lifestyle of most of its participants and their tireless work. An additional confirmation of this is provided in Table 10.-
page 31
Table 11
Your level of knowledge of the Russian language?
I know it well
9
I can explain myself
33
I can read
5
I don't speak or understand well
42
I don't really know
4
I don't know / I don't know very well, but mostly I study at the Institute
6
Total
100
Table 12
How well do you know the rules of stay of foreigners in the Russian Federation?
Enough
15
Not enough
72
I don't know at all
13
Total
100
showing how migrants spend their leisure time. In fact, it indicates an irregular working day.
TV, socializing with friends, staying with your family - that, in fact, is all your leisure time, if there is one. However, the citizens of the new Russia, who solve the problem of survival every day, will not be surprised by self-exploitation.
The successful work of the Chinese community, of course, is also helped by the ability to adapt to the necessary degree to the conditions of their existence. In particular, this includes the knowledge of a significant part of its members at least the rudiments of the Russian language. As can be seen from Table 11, 96% of respondents can use Russian to some extent or are currently studying it. True, almost half of them "do not speak or understand" Russian very well, but for practical purposes, their basic language knowledge is sufficient, even if only sparsely.
The situation is worse with migrants ' knowledge of the rules governing their stay in Russia.
The number of those who are sufficiently familiar with them is surprisingly small, as it follows from Table 12. (Almost the same figures - 15% - were revealed by V. Gelbras ' survey in 2002.9) 85% of respondents cannot boast of sufficient knowledge of the laws. This mass phenomenon can only be explained by the fact that ignorance of the laws does not significantly reduce their quality of life: first, the necessary information about the laws and ways to circumvent them is constantly circulating and updated in their own environment; second, no knowledge of the laws saves migrants from various abuses by officials and police.
In short, the "guests" from China are trying to adapt to the conditions of Russia, but they are not very diligent.
YOU CAN ALWAYS FINE A CHINESE PERSON
The main obstacles faced by Chinese entrepreneurs are the same as those faced by their Russian counterparts: they are elements of the general atmosphere in which business in Russia develops, in particular, small and medium-sized businesses. During the survey, respondents were asked to name the 5 most serious difficulties, relatively speaking, administratively-
Table 13
What are 5 serious administrative and legal difficulties?
Russia
Moscow
Far East
Far East
Vladivostok
Khabarovsk
Blagoveshchensk
Police fees
29
39
22
24
23
19
Racket (extortion of "protectors")
18
25
12
12
11
13
Government bribery
6
4
7
4
8
8
Tax officials ' fees
4
1
6
3
8
8
Customs officials ' fees
6
8
6
3
5
9
Lack of proper order in customs clearance of goods
4
5
3
2
4
2
Complexity of bureaucratic procedures, including registration
5
6
5
4
5
7
Difficulties of cargo preservation
2
2
2
2
4
1
Unreliability of Russian partners
4
3
5
6
5
4
Unreliability of Chinese partners
0
1
0
0
0
0
It is difficult to get a long-stay commercial visa or settlement
7
2
11
12
10
10
Difficulty in analyzing the market
4
3
5
6
6
3
It is difficult to resolve disputes in court
2
1
4
6
2
3
It's hard to get legal advice
6
1
9
11
8
8
Russian criminal offenses
2
0
3
4
2
3
Chinese criminal offenses
0
0
0
0
1
0
Other
0
0
0
1
0
0
I find it difficult to answer
1
0
1
1
0
3
Total
100 (1978)
100 (836)
100 (1142)
100 (360)
100 379)
100 (403)
page 32
Table 14
What are the 3 main economic difficulties in business activity?
Russia
Moscow
Far East
Far East
Vladivostok
Khabarovsk
Blagoveshchensk
High economic risks
12
8
14
15
15
12
High cost of living in Russia
27
33
22
20
24
23
Excessive taxes,
12
2
19
16
15
26
high rent
31
33
29
28
34
26
Lack of interbank payments
1
1
1
2
0
1
Low reputation of Chinese goods
12
20
6
7
5
5
Low purchasing power of the Russian population
5
2
7
11
7
3
Other
1
0
1
1
1
0
I find it difficult to answer
1
0
1
1
0
2
Total
100 (1301)
100 (524)
100 (777)
100 (256)
100 (248)
100 (273)
of a legal nature out of the number (18) that interfere with their activities. The results are presented in Table 13.
The first three places are occupied by various types of extortion and bribery with a large margin from the next ones. In total, all these types of illegal withdrawal of other people's funds accounted for: in Russia - 63%, in Moscow-77%, in the Far East-53% (responses). If we count complaints as a percentage of the number of respondents, rather than the number of responses, we get the following indicators: police extortion - 82% (!), racketeering - 49%, and bribery in tax, customs and other authorities in total - 45%.
Difficulties of a direct economic nature can be seen from Table 14.
High rents, high cost of living, excessive taxes, high economic risks, and low reputation of Chinese goods are the leading factors here. Some of these difficulties are more pronounced in the capital, while others are more pronounced in the Far East. Judging by the results of our survey, life in Moscow is more expensive, goods from China are valued lower (since there are many others, and the population has more money), but business risks are not so great.
In addition to problems of a professional nature, the attitude of local authorities and the population towards migrants is of the greatest importance. For a Chinese person in Russia, this is a factor that often complicates their life. What does it look like in the perception of the Chinese themselves? Table 15 shows that in both Moscow and the Far East, the most common assessment of the attitude of the Russian authorities is neutral, and the sum of "not quite friendly" and "hostile" assessments slightly outweighs "benevolent" (28% vs. 22%). The number of purely " hostile "responses, however, is very small, and" friendly "plus" neutral", i.e. those options for relationships in which you can live and work normally, make up a little more than half of all responses: 57%.
As for the local population (see Table 16), their attitude towards the Chinese earned them a lower rating than the attitude of the authorities: "not quite
Table 15
How do the Russian authorities treat you?
Russia
Moscow
Far East
Far East
Vladivostok
Khabarovsk
Blagoveshchensk
Very friendly
22
20
23
26
21
22
Neutral
35
45
25
20
32
21
Not exactly friendly
24
32
15
13
16
17
Hostile
4
0
8
9
10
5
Hard to estimate
16
2
29
33
20
34
Total
100
100
100
100
100
100
Table 16
How do the locals treat you?
Russia
Moscow
Far East
Far East
Vladivostok
Khabarovsk
Blagoveshchensk
Very friendly
26
11
41
41
48
34
Neutral
22
21
24
26
26
20
Not exactly friendly
39
59
18
14
17
24
Hostile
6
8
4
6
2
5
Hard to estimate
7
1
12
10
8
17
I find it difficult to answer
0
0
0
1
0
0
No response
0
0
1
2
0
0
Total
100
100
100
100
100
100
page 33
Table 17
Has it ever happened that the Russians..?
Russia
Moscow
Far East
Insulted, scolded you
44
35
53
They threatened to beat me up
24
22
22
Beaten up
12
16
9
Robbed
21
17
25
Set on fire
0
0
1
Did you abuse your children
1
0
3
Violated the safety and dignity of your friends and relatives
14
3
26
I find it difficult to answer
14
32
3
Total
100
100
100
benevolent "plus" hostile " in total -45% (with 28% from the authorities). These figures show that the hostility to Chinese migrants emanating from the authorities is based on the xenophobia of the masses and, therefore, cannot be fully explained by the interests of certain departments or corruption motives.
What the capital and the eastern outskirts of the country seem to be on par with is the number of attacks on the security of the identity of Chinese migrants, as shown in Table 17. In Moscow, the amount of complaints about acts of physical violence (beatings, robberies, arson), expressed as a percentage of the number of respondents, is almost the same as in the previous year. In the Far East: 34% and 35%. (The total amount of complaints, i.e. responses from 700 respondents, is 1019, so the percentage amounts in the columns are greater than 100.)
Table 17 clearly shows that the percentage of attacks on the safety and dignity of Chinese migrants in Russia is unacceptably high for a civilized society. Translated from the dry language of tables to the freer language of journalism, the situation in the eyes of the Chinese is as follows::
"I would not venture to assume that the Chinese people living in Moscow are all good people, but more than 90% of them are quite respectable. They work hard, honestly comply with Russian laws, earn money by hard work, pay their taxes on time, and get not cheap work permits. But at the same time, there is probably not a single Chinese person in Russia who has not suffered at the hands of the police. Fining a Chinese person is the most common thing. No one is outraged by the fines anymore: if I give the money away, I'll try to earn more. It's worse if you get beaten up. Recently, the police beat up a friend of mine so badly that he lost consciousness and left him on the road. Well, bystanders called an ambulance and took him to the hospital. After some time, having recovered from the beating, he went to the police with a complaint. But I soon realized that complaining is only wasting time. " 10
FINAL OPINIONS ON RUSSIA AND FUTURE PLANS
Table 18 shows how the respondents ' general ideas about our country are formed, where there are three times more positive responses than negative ones (in Moscow-twice, in the Far East - five times).
The dynamics of the spectrum of opinions is shown in Table 19: during the migrant's stay in Russia, the picture clearly shifts for the better. We recorded 3 times more people who improved their opinion in both Moscow and Vladivostok than their opponents who changed their opinion in the opposite way.
Table 18
What is your general opinion about Russia as a host country for migrants?
Russia
Moscow
Far East
Far East
Vladivostok
Khabarovsk
Blagoveshchensk
Friendly
26
11
41
41
48
34
Positive
34
31
36
28
47
32
Negative value
11
15
7
4
5
10
Undefined
32
49
16
15
18
15
I find it difficult to answer
23
5
41
53
30
42
Total
100
100
100
100
100
100
Migrants also base their plans for the future on these mostly positive assessments of Russia, Russians, and opportunities to work successfully in our country. As can be seen from Table 20, most Chinese migrants would like to continue working in Russia. Only 6% would like to stop their activity and leave, and another 1% would like to reduce its volume. There are 4% of such pessimists in Moscow and 11% in the Far East.
(In V. Gelbras ' surveys, the percentage of people who want to stop working in the Russian Federation or reduce its volume is about the same as in our country, or even less than 11.)
Table 19
How has your opinion of Russia changed during your stay in Russia?
Russia
Moscow
Far East
Far East
Vladivostok
Khabarovsk
Blagoveshchensk
Improved
44
50
37
36
45
31
Got worse
15
17
12
16
10
And
Nothing changed
25
31
19
12
16
29
I find it difficult to answer
17
3
31
36
28
28
No response
0
0
0
0
0
1
Total
100
100
100
100
100
100
page 34
Table 20
What are your business intentions in Russia?
Russia
Moscow
Far East
Far East
Vladivostok
Khabarovsk
Blagoveshchensk
Start a business in Russia
17
1
33
34
36
29
Expand your business in Russia
14
9
19
13
21
24
Buy / rent a room
15
27
3
0
5
3
Buy / rent a land plot in the city
1
0
1
0
2
2
Any way to improve your own life in Russia
24
43
5
3
4
8
Reduce the scale of your business in Russia
1
0
3
3
4
0
Stop operating in Russia
1
0
1
1
1
3
After the end of the contract, stay in Russia as an employee
6
11
1
1
3
0
Leave Russia after the contract ends
5
4
7
4
8
8
Other
0
0
1
1
1
I find it difficult to answer
15
5
26
39
17
23
Total
100
100
100
100
100
100
Table 21
Where would you like to live?
Russia
Moscow
Far East
Far East
Vladivostok
Khabarovsk
Blagoveshchensk
Get Russian citizenship and live in Russia
20
32
9
6
11
9
Live in Russia with a permanent residence permit
26
35
18
16
25
13
Live in China and come to Russia for a while on business
35
28
41
39
46
39
Live in China and never come to Russia again
5
3
8
9
6
9
Go to a third country
2
0
3
1
3
4
I find it difficult to answer
12
2
21
29
9
26
Total
100
100
100
100
100
100
Table 22
Do you want to move any of your family members who are still in China?
Russia
Moscow
Far East
Far East
Vladivostok
Khabarovsk
Blagoveshchensk
Yes
41
64
19
11
30
16
No
24
17
31
32
30
32
There are no specific plans
34
19
49
57
40
50
I find it difficult to answer
0
0
0
0
0
1
No response
0
0
0
0
0
1
Total
100
100
100
100
100
100
These results are consistent with the data presented in Table 21: almost half of the respondents would like to permanently reside in Russia with a Russian passport or residence permit: 46% (67% in Moscow and 27% in the Far East). And only 7% (3% in Moscow and 11% in the Far East) want to break with Russia by returning to China or moving to a third country.
"A private entrepreneur from China will earn more in any seaside market in a month than in China in a year. Therefore, they are ready to work in Russia, despite fines, bans, and inspections, " notes Xue Huilin, editor of the Russian-Chinese commercial bulletin Vostochny Most, published in the Far East.12
The data in Table 22 show how many respondents would like to move some of their family members to Russia and, consequently, live there for a long time. It turns out that there are twice as many people who want to do this as those who do not consider it appropriate, despite the fact that, according to our calculations, 18% of respondents live in Russia with their spouses. Note that in Moscow, the share of those who want to reunite with relatives is much more than three times higher than in the Far East; those who do not want to are two and a half times less. Finally, Table 23, we would say, enhances the effect of the previous one: It shows that more than half of respondents - 59% - want their children to follow them in connecting their lives with Russia (76% in Moscow and 37% in the Far East). A fifth of respondents would like their children to settle in Russia; almost half as many respondents would not.
But that's not all. An excellent indicator in the analysis of interethnic relations is the question of mixed marriages, which appeals to the depths of the human "I". The answers of our respondents to this question showed that most of them are alien to Russophobia. Indeed, those who are positive about mixed marriages (including those who are themselves in such a marriage).
page 35
Table 23
I'd like my kids to...?
Russia
Moscow
Far East
Far East
Vladivostok
Khabarovsk
Blagoveshchensk
Settled in Russia
19
30
7
2
13
6
They were educated in Russia
18
21
13
12
12
16
Worked in Russia
15
21
6
6
9
4
Lived in China, but had a job related to Russia
7
4
11
8
15
8
Never thought about it
31
15
50
60
42
51
I would not want them to live in Russia
11
9
13
13
10
15
Total
100 (840)
100 (459)
100 (381)
100 (121)
100 (136)
100 (124)
Table 24
How would you react to the marriage of your child or other close relative with a Russian?
Russia
Moscow
Far East
Far East
Vladivostok
Khabarovsk
Blagoveshchensk
I myself am in such a marriage
2
1
3
3
1
4
Positively
38
58
18
15
21
20
It doesn't matter
28
26
29
35
30
23
Negative
8
0
17
10
16
23
There is no definite opinion
24
15
33
37
32
30
Total
100
100
100
100
100
100
and, therefore, gives the answer by his own example) more than their opponents, both in Moscow and in the Far East. 68% of respondents (85% in Moscow and 50% in the Far East) have no objections to mixed marriage (Table 24). All the negative responses, not many of them, were received in the Far East.
* * *
The following conclusion seems to be absolutely unambiguous from the above: the majority of migrants consider Russia as a very suitable country for economic activity and are ready to associate their labor with it for years, if not living on its territory, then at least regularly visiting it. They are equally supportive of their children following in their footsteps. The far from prestigious economic niche they occupy in the Russian market, and the modest living conditions they find themselves in, generally suit them quite well (which, of course, does not prevent Chinese companies and foreign trade organizations from making plans to expand their operations in Russia in accordance with the economic situation). Moreover, they agree to endure the humiliation and harassment that the current structure of Russian society generates in abundance.
This does not mean that it would be correct to allow spontaneous movement of such labor resources to Russia without regard to our economic, social and other conditions, in the expectation that the laws of the market will automatically distribute the migration flow to the relevant sectors of the economy and territories. No State can waive the obligation to regulate migration processes in accordance with national interests.
But it is also unacceptable to look at Chinese migrants as second-class people, taking it out on them for their own frustrations. National arrogance is unworthy of a civilized nation. And most importantly, we must not forget: we need the work of the Chinese in Russia no less than they need payment for this work.
Antonova L., Yakovlev V. 1 Russian-Chinese cooperation in the field of migration policy // Russia-China. XXI century. Moscow, 2007, April.
2 Zhongguo minjian maoi fasheng da bianhua (Major Changes in Chinese People's Trade) / / Jingji cankao bao. 24.11.2003.Cit. по: http://newsl.jrj/com/cn/news/2003-11-24
3 Rossiyskaya gazeta. 16.11.2006.
Vitkovskaya G., Zayonchkovskaya Zh 4 Novaya stolypinskaya politika na Dalnem Vostoke Rossii: nadezhdy i realii [New Stolypin Policy in the Russian Far East: Hopes and Realities]. Perspektivy Dalnevostochnogo regiona: mezhstranovye vzaimodeystviya, Moscow, 1999.
Gelbras V. T. 5 Kitayskaya real'nost ' Rossii [The Chinese Reality of Russia], Moscow, 2001; ee: Rossiya v usloviyakh global'noi kitayskoy migratsii, Moscow, 2004.
Zabiyako A. P., Anikhovskiy S. E., Kobyzov R. A. 6 Issledovatel'nyi proekt "Etnicheskoe samosoznanie russkikh i kitaytsev v dalnevostochnom regione" [Research project "Ethnic self-awareness of Russians and Chinese in the Far Eastern region"]. 2. Blagoveshchensk, 2001.
Wishnick E. 7 Economic Security and Chinese Migration to the Russian Far East. Honolulu. 2004, p. 9.
8 Jilin Shulan yu ge "Elos xin niang qun" (In Jilin province in Shulan there is a "village of Russian young women") - http://com-merce.northeast.cn 24.10.2006.
Gelbras V. 9 Russia in the context of global Chinese migration ... p. 133.
Sun Hao. 10 Tsung Moseke de jingcha tsai ci ouda zhongguo ren tanqi (Moscow police beat up Chinese people again) - column.bokee.com
Gelbras V. T. 11 Chinese reality of Russia.., p. 101; his own: Russia in the context of global Chinese migration.., p. 121.
12 Foreign traders did not leave the seaside markets. 27/03/2008 - www.deita.ru
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