How do Russians in the Far East think of NE Asia? (people, culture)

[Trimac20]

How do people, especially European Russians, in Vladivostok, Khabarovsk.etc view China, Korea, Japan and Mongolia?

I mean do they sort of consider themselves being in that region, or more Asian than other Russians, and do they feel a sense of regional unity with those in Northern China, Korea and to a lesser extent even Japan?

I hear there's more exchange happening, some good some bad, mostly Chinese going up north but also some Russians going into China, like girls working in KTV's or Russian tourists. Sometimes the trade can be beneficial but it seems there are some who fear a Chinese invasion. Can anyone give a picture of the situation? It seems an interesting region, Vladivostok is so close to the Korean peninsula I wonder if it will become significantly influenced by Korea.

[slowlane3]

I have read news articles about this. Chinese merchants and entrepreneurs are rapidly moving into eastern Siberia, and trading goods back and forth. The native Russian population has been declining for years, due to factors such as rampant alcoholism, drug abuse, and abortions.

Along parts of the Chinese - Siberian border, the Chinese side is intensely farmed, while the Siberian side right next to it, is unused, or else forested. Russians are seen as lackadaisical and apathetic.

Overall Chinese influence, including food and popular culture, is seen increasingly in parts of Siberia. Russia may eventually lose control of the region -- in the same way that the American pioneers moved into Texas and established a strong presence, enabling them after a few years to wrest Texas from the Spanish.

[Trimac20]

Originally Posted by slowlane3

I have read news articles about this. Chinese merchants and entrepreneurs are rapidly moving into eastern Siberia, and trading goods back and forth. The native Russian population has been declining for years, due to factors such as rampant alcoholism, drug abuse, and abortions.

Along parts of the Chinese - Siberian border, the Chinese side is intensely farmed, while the Siberian side right next to it, is unused, or else forested. Russians are seen as lackadaisical and apathetic.

Overall Chinese influence, including food and popular culture, is seen increasingly in parts of Siberia. Russia may eventually lose control of the region -- in the same way that the American pioneers moved into Texas and established a strong presence, enabling them after a few years to wrest Texas from the Spanish.

By native Russian I assume you mean mostly European Russian. The European Russians haven't really been in the region that long.

[fellowjoe]

The Russians have sort of a love-hate relationship with China due to their shared ideology of Communism in the past and the potential threat posed by growing Chinese economic and military might.


I couldn't think of how they view Korea though (except that North Korea seems to be a real threat to them due to its nuclear rearmament policy).


But the Russians did not have proper diplomatic relations with Japan as they refused to sign the 1952 San Francisco Treaty. Also, occasionally disputes over the Kurile Islands would erupt between the Russians and Japanese.

[Tiger Beer]

Many Russians in Asia, look very favorably to both South Korea and Japan. Especially economically.

I don't think they look very favorably towards China though. I think there is a fear that way too many Chinese can just 'take over' that part of Russia, way too easily.

[Gantz]

Originally Posted by Trimac20

I hear there's more exchange happening, some good some bad, mostly Chinese going up north but also some Russians going into China, like girls working in KTV's or Russian tourists.

Not many people know this, but Russians are an officially recognized ethnic group in China. There were Russian settlers since the early Qing dynasty.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by Gantz

Not many people know this, but Russians are an officially recognized ethnic group in China. There were Russian settlers since the early Qing dynasty.

True. The city of Harbin used to be heavily populated by Russians and alot of its institutions used to be Russian-speaking.

[Trimac20]

It's a shame that the Russians were kicked out of China (and vice versa), or they fled, they would have added a bit of multiculturalism to China. I feel China's ethnic minorities are sort of tokenistic, many of these minorities were only given this status for political reasons and many are basically Han. Most of the most prominent minorities live in Yunnan, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, but Han settlers and culture are increasingly taking over.