Chinese Migrants in the Russian Labor Market Competitors or the Driving Force of Economic Development?

This presentation shows trends in labor migration from China to the Russian Federation for the period 2000-2010, including the regions and industries of employment of Chinese migrant workers. Described economic “niches” that are Chinese migrant workers in the Russian labor market. Chinese migrants adapted to the Russian labor market quite well. Mostly of them working in Chinese companies. Social and economic component of their integration can be considered particularly successful - they have jobs, relatively high level of income for labor migrants in Russia. Chinese are known as great farmers, who know perfectly well the characteristics of agro-climatic conditions, they are much more efficient, professional, and disciplined workers than Russians. The examples of ethnic Chinese business in Russia, including those identified a strong correlation between investment and labor migration from Chinese in Russia. Currently Chinese investors in Russia are represented by investments made by large Chinese state-owned companies which purposefully invest their funds in basic projects related to development of transportation system, communications, and exploration of mineral resources in Russia. This type of investments goes through official channels, legally, based on official contracts. The second type of Chinese investments includes private investments in development of business with quick pay off - trade, food service, restaurant and tourist business. In this part of investments Chinese private business is oriented at semi-legal and illegal methods of penetration in the Russian market. The presentation also discusses the features of labor migration and trade between China and Russia in the border regions of the Far East. It also describes features of the regulation of labor migration between Russia and China.