Новые аспекты сотрудничества по освоению Дальнего Востока России и возрождению Северо-Восточного Китая

УДК 339.92(571.6)(511)

Ma Yujung – Candidate of Historical Sciences, Director of the Institute of Russian Research of the Academy of Social Sciences of Heilongjiang Province (China). E-mail: myj52@sina.com

New aspects of cooperation for the development of the Russian Far East and the revival of the North-Eastern China ¹

In recent years, the North-Eastern China and the Russian Far East have developed a number of new long-term development plans. They should be considered as a steady platform for the development and expansion of regional cooperation between two countries. For practical implementation of the existing building is necessary to form a special strategy for conjugation of regional economic projects. The governments and the regional authorities of both countries are currently worth some extremely important and promising targets for the organization of effective cooperation. Firstly, you must have analyze the development potential and the possibility of external cooperation in the North-Eastern China region with the Russian Far East, and, secondly, to jointly think about how on the basis of their strategies to establish the laws and regulations that are favorable and raise the level of the China-Russia cooperation.

Новые аспекты сотрудничества по освоению Дальнего Востока России и возрождению Северо-Восточного Китая²

В последние годы для Северо-Восточной части Китая и Дальнего Востока России был разработан ряд новых планов перспективного развития. Их необходимо рассматривать как устойчивую платформу для развития и расширения регионального сотрудничества между двумя странами. Для практической реализации сложившегося потенциала необходимо формировать специальную стратегию сопряжения региональных экономических проектов. Перед правительствами и региональными властям обеих стран в настоящее время стоят несколько чрезвычайно важных и перспективных задач по организации эффективного сотрудничества. Во-первых, необходимо углубленно проанализировать потенциал развития и возможность внешнего сотрудничества Северо-Восточного региона Китая с Дальним Востоком России и, во-вторых, совместно думать о том, как на основе своих стратегий устанавливать законы и правила, которые будут благоприятствовать и поднимут уровень китайско-российского сотрудничества.

Keywords: relations between China and Russia; the Russian Far East; the North-Eastern China; cooperation program; development strategy, conjunction.

Ключевые слова: отношения между Китаем и Россией; Дальний Восток РФ; Северо-Восток КНР; программа сотрудничества; стратегия развития, сопряжение.

The North-Eastern China's development strategy as a factor in the deepening of Sino-Russian integration

In 2003 Chinese government published"The Strategy for the revival of the old industrial bases in the North-Eastern China." A working group of the State Council was set up to implement it. This was an important step in the formation of a rational territorial structure of the Chinese economy.

In 2007, "The Revitalization Plan of the North-Eastern China" was published, which was planned to complete the revival of the economy of the region in 10 – 15 years. To carry out regeneration projects of old industrial bases in the North-Eastern China has become apparent organization of close technical cooperation with Russia.

At the same time Russia began a new - more intensive stage of development of territories of Siberia and the Far East. To this end, Russia needed investment, technology and trained workforce.

As a mutually beneficial and effective solution to these problems, ensuring policy coherence development of adjacent areas, in 2009 the leaders of the two countries signed the "Program of cooperation between the regions of the Far East and the Eastern Siberia, Russia and the North-Eastern China for the period 2009 – 2018".

Pairing the strategy of development of the Far East of Russia and the strategies for the development of the China's North-East, on the one hand, it extends the scope of the Sino-Russian cooperation and facilitate the transition to a new model of cooperation, and, on the other hand, contributes to the development of economic cooperation in the A-oriented reforms and the Pacific, promotion in the North-Eastern Asia security mechanism.

One of the important effects of the activities was the rapid growth of Sino-Russian trade. According to Chinese customs statistics, in 2010 it amounted to 55.5 billion US dollars, in 2011 – 79.3 billion USD in 2012 due to the impact of the global economic crisis, the growth rate of Sino-Russian trade to slow down somewhat, but volumes were still high: 88.2 billion USD.

Great influence on these positive developments has had personal contact between the two leaders. In 2012, Putin visited China, and in 2013 the newly elected Chinese President Xi Jinping went to his first trip abroad – Russia. They have many times stressed that the priority of development of bilateral relations is not changed, that China and Russia consider each other important strategic partners.

However, the economies of the interaction processes do not occur automatically. Although in 2014 to to China-Russia trade grew by 6.8% to 95.3 billion USD. However, this figure corresponds to only 1/6 of the volume of Sino-US trade, 1/5 of the volume of Sino-Japanese trade and 1/5 volume of Sino Korean trade. It is disproportionate to the Sino-Russian strategic partnership of cooperation, which affect the Sino-Russian cooperation

To implement the policy settings in China and Russia need to develop and implement specific projects to improve cooperation. At the meeting with the members of international discussion club "Valdai" Putin stressed that in order to achieve the strategic goals necessary to carry out a number of activities: trade – actively import consumer goods from China and exported energy products in China; in investment – to improve cooperation  in the field of nuclear energy, aviation, astronautics, etc .; in the financial sector – move to settlements in national currencies³.

The Chinese side for the implementation of such projects great expectations with the improvement of ties and intensification of cooperation of the North-Eastern China and the Russian Far East.

In August 2014, the Chinese State Council issued a report entitled "The views of a number of leading politicians on the measures to support the revitalization of old industrial bases in the North-Eastern China." It was stressed that the revival of the North-Eastern China should be implemented through the development of export-oriented economy⁴. 

To do this, along with the expanding cooperation with the region of the North-Eastern Asia and  developing countries , should strengthen the relationship with Dr. Hoc East Russia, to provide docking "strategy of revival of the Northeast China " and "Strategy of development of the Russian Far East." Special attention was paid to the need to launch the mechanisms of Sino-Russian cooperation in the implementation of large-scale projects in the energy, mineral resources and manufacturing.

This approach is largely coincides with Russia's plans for intensive development of the territory of the Russian Far East, which under President Vladimir Putin received new - greater importance, and they were called "national project for the entire 21 century."

Experience has shown that only very difficult to carry out his own Russian forces large-scale development of the Far East. Bed and during Boris Yeltsin, the Russian government has tried to implement the President's program for the development of the Far East. April 24, 1996, Boris Yeltsin signed a decree on the program "The Economic Development of the Far East and Trans-Baikal in 1996 – 2005". However, s and a lack of funds, including state and local budget allocations, funding amounted to only 24% of the necessary funds, so the program fails.

Many Chinese and Russian experts believe that the successful implementation of the ambitious plans for the development of the region need to "sail" the development of the Far East caught "tailwind China's economic development"⁵.  It is the complexity and complementarity of regional programs can ensure the resolution of problems that limit the development of both Chinese and Russian border areas.

New ways of interfacing projects "Revival of the North-eastern China" and "Development of the Russian Far East"

Large and complex tasks that have been set by governments of Russia and China to the neighboring regions could be solved if they are able to strengthen the opportunities for effective cooperation, ensure the rational and efficient use of existing capacity, and debug mechanisms of mutual exchange of goods, capital, technology, human resources.

To do this, you must pay serious attention to the current challenges and problems in the Sino-Russian cooperation, to determine the direction of their solution.

The development of new forms of trade

After observed in recent years, increasing the level of interaction between the Chinese and Russian economies, the organization of foreign economic cooperation between the countries are in need of innovation. For 20 years, a model of Sino-Russian trade has not changed: it is aimed, on the one hand, the import of commodities, and on the other hand, to consumer goods.

In the future, the scope of trade should be expanded, optimized its structure and the balance of trade, new point for trade growth are found. To do this you must strengthen and expand traditional trade, design and develop new forms of trade, including cross-border e-commerce and other new businesses, create, improve and expand the system of trade in services.

At the same time, it is necessary that the trade was closely linked to the investment to investment cooperation contributed to the development of trade.

Expansion of investments in Russia

The organization of Russian-Chinese cooperation is necessary to take into account that Russia is implementing a strategy to modernize the economy. It is aimed at changing the model, associated mainly with the export of raw materials. To do this, it attracts investment, develops manufacturing industries and encourages deep processing of natural resources.

To the China's central government is necessary to maintain the opportunities for investment in the Far East of Heilongjiang Province. This will actively expand investment in Russia in the field of agriculture, forestry and energy, to strengthen cooperation with Russia in the field of infrastructure construction, "large" projects to promote joint development of the real economy.

In addition, the implementation of Chinese investment projects in the Far East, will undoubtedly stimulate export of relevant equipment and technology, will optimize cooperation in the area of construction and use to solve regional problems of manpower in Heilongjiang Province.

Promotion project of "The Silk Road Economic Belt" with Russia

Russia is actively implementing the Far East, the construction of transport infrastructure, which configuration is largely the same as the project to create a "Silk Road Economic Belt" of China. Matching items and pair of these infrastructures is essential to enhance the development of border areas of the Far East and the North-Eastern China.

This pair should be considered as a way to create a strategic resource, ensuring effective interaction areas to the China-Russian border region. Construction of here, "the international big way" will allow for real relations in the organization of cross-border economic cooperation zones and comprehensive bonded zone, be a prerequisite for cross-border economic integration in the construction of infrastructure of border ports, roads, industrial parks, etc.

Mobilization of regional authorities’ activity and promotion of cooperation of the China-Russian major projects

Currently, there is a clear deficit in the development of joint plans for the implementation of major projects between China and Russia.

The first priority for the implementation of such projects is to update and complement the previously adopted "Program of cooperation between the regions of the Far East and the Eastern Siberia, Russia and the North-Eastern China for 2009 – 2018". In addition, for joint consideration should be intensified within the SCO projects focused on the implementation or on the territories of the Russian Far East, or in the adjacent territories of China.

This will enable the joint efforts to balance the interests of both parties. In addition, based on the deepening of the energy, agriculture and forestry cooperation will be possible to use in these areas of new efficient technologies that positively affect the welfare level and a quality of life.

Thus, the governments and regional authorities of both countries are currently worth some extremely important and promising targets for the organization of effective cooperation. Firstly, you must analyze the development potential and the possibility of external cooperation in the North-Eastern China region with the Russian Far East, and, secondly, to jointly think about how on the basis of their strategies to establish the laws and regulations that are favorable and raise the level of the China-Russia cooperation.

Literature and the sources:

1. Встреча Президента РФ Владимира Путина с участниками международного дискуссионного клуба «Валдай» [Электронный ресурс]. –.– Режим доступа: http://www.kremlin.ru/transcripts/16717.

2. http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2016-04/26/c_1118744344.htm

3. Чжан На. Российский экономический парусник поймает китайский ветер / Чжан На. // Экономический вестник Китая. – 2012.06.07 (на китайском языке).