Starting September 15, a visa-free regime will come into effect between Russia and China for citizens of both countries. This move opens up new opportunities for migration and cooperation; however, experts point to the risks of large-scale demographic and economic expansion by China in Siberia and the Russian Far East.
This is reported by Finway
Migration Impact and Formation of Enclaves
The visa-free regime creates favorable conditions for an increase in the number of migrants from China in the territories of Siberia and the Far East. According to Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council, enclaves are already forming in these regions, where predominantly Chinese citizens reside, while the local population remains on the sidelines. At the same time, the financial benefits from economic activities are returning to Beijing rather than remaining in Russia. It is predicted that by 2030, hundreds of thousands of new migrants from China may appear in Siberia, as Russia is unable to populate its own territories due to a prolonged demographic crisis.
“The real picture is this: the Kremlin is not ‘developing’ the region but is handing it over for settlement by foreigners. Siberia and the Far East are strategic lands that Moscow is gradually surrendering,” emphasized Kovalenko.
Economic Expansion and Growth of Chinese Business
According to the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service, as of September 2025, there are about 13,000 legal entities with Chinese capital operating in Russia, which is 23% more than at the end of 2024. The total revenue of these companies last year exceeded 41.3 billion US dollars. Chinese managers aim to fully localize production processes in Russia, gradually taking control of the country’s industrial assets. This allows them to reduce production costs and benefit from government business support programs available in Russia.
Thanks to access to investment resources from Beijing, Chinese companies gain significant advantages over local producers, who face liquidity shortages. As a result, Chinese manufacturers are actively pushing Russian enterprises out of their own domestic market, altering the structure of the country’s economy in favor of China.