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Viewing cable 09VLADIVOSTOK51, FEWER RUSSIANS MAKING CROSS-RIVER TRIP TO CHINA

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09VLADIVOSTOK51 2009-04-17 07:06 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Consulate Vladivostok
VZCZCXRO2192
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDBU RUEHFK RUEHHM RUEHKSO RUEHLN RUEHNAG RUEHPB RUEHPOD
RUEHYG
DE RUEHVK #0051 1070706
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 170706Z APR 09
FM AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1124
INFO RUEHZU/ASIAN PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION COLLECTIVE
RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 0333
RUEHVK/AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 1227
UNCLAS VLADIVOSTOK 000051 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON PGOV RS
SUBJECT: FEWER RUSSIANS MAKING CROSS-RIVER TRIP TO CHINA 
 
REF: VLADIVOSTOK 034 
 
1.  During a trip to Blagoveshchensk on the Amur River border 
with China, two mission Russia FSNs -- one from Vladivostok and 
one from Moscow -- made a boat trip to Heihe, China to observe 
cross-border traffic.  The excursion provided a unique 
opportunity to report on activity there, since diplomats are not 
permitted to make the trip.  Though the city of Heihe is visible 
across the banks of the river from Blagoveshchensk, there was 
surprisingly little passenger traffic between the two. 
 
2.  The city of Heihe, China (population 113,000) is clearly 
visible from the banks of the Amur River in Blagoveshchensk 
(219,000), and could easily be reached by foot on the frozen 
river.  Getting there is relatively easy.  First, passengers are 
required to pay a port service fee of 800 rubles (USD 23) at the 
boat terminal.  Passengers then choose their method of 
transportation, though not all are available year round.  For 
this trip, which was taking place during the spring thaw, the 
only means of transport capable of crossing the weakened ice and 
patches of open water was an 18-seat Puma-type hovercraft. 
During winter when the river is completely frozen, buses are 
available, and when the river is completely thawed during the 
warm months, a traditional passenger vessel is used.  The price 
for a round trip journey on the Puma, which takes just a few 
minutes, was 600 rubles (USD 18).  The other modes are less 
expensive. 
 
3.  Diplomats are not permitted to cross into China by road or 
boat, but visa requirements for local residents are relatively 
easy.  Individual travelers who are residents of Blagoveshchensk 
and parts of Amur Oblast, or groups of five or more Russians are 
permitted to make the trip to Heihe and its immediate 
surroundings without a visa.  Other individual Russian citizens 
require visas to visit the city of Heihe proper, but are 
permitted to visit a smaller island in the Amur just outside of 
Heihe without visas provided they do not spend the night there. 
The Puma and other modes of transport stop at the island, from 
which those who meet visa requirements can cross a pedestrian 
bridge to the city.  The FSNs stayed on the island, which has 
two large shopping centers packed with Chinese goods catering to 
Russian shoppers, and several restaurants mostly populated by 
locals. 
 
4.  Business at the river border station was surprisingly slow. 
Only about ten Russians made the trip to the island, and about 
forty Russians and a handful of Chinese went to the city. 
Locals in Blagoveshchensk reported that the number of Russians 
bound for China has dropped considerably in recent months, down 
from 5,000 people per day on weekends to about 50 per day.  In 
the past, traffic was so frequent on the river that it would 
take several hours for travelers to pass through customs upon 
return to Russia.  For this excursion, border formalities lasted 
just a few minutes. 
 
5.  Though the general economic downturn certainly plays a role 
in the slowdown, recent Russian government policies are also to 
blame.  First, the recent increase of import fees for used 
Japanese cars has severely hurt a significant segment of the 
Amur region which relied on the trade.  Perhaps more important 
is the crackdown on 'pomogaiki' (reftel) who receive subsidized 
trips to China from Russia-based retailers in return for 
carrying goods back for resale.  Customs officials initiated the 
crackdown saying that these compensated traders violated rules 
that allow travelers to import goods duty-free for personal use, 
not for resale.  Being a pomogaika is often the only source of 
income for rural residents near the border and they made up a 
large proportion of the cross-border traffic. 
 
Comment 
 
6.  Considering the proximity of Russian and Chinese population 
centers along the border, there is surprisingly little traffic 
between them.  Though there was a significant amount of shuttle 
trading while the economy was in better health, most of the 
exchange along the border is small-scale.  Private vehicles are 
not allowed to cross the border and there are no bridges -- even 
for pedestrians -- directly connecting population centers across 
the river.  The situation highlights the arm's length approach 
that authorities from both sides are taking towards their 
neighbors on the other side. 
 
ARMBRUSTER