Chinese migration into Siberia grows under new visa-free travel agreement

A new visa-free regime between Russia and China is facilitating a "quiet expansion" of Chinese citizens into Siberia, potentially leading to hundreds of thousands of settlers by 2030. This visa-free travel, effective September 15 for Russians entering China and mirrored for Chinese citizens entering Russia, is seen as a strategic channel for migration into Russia's Far East. Chinese enclaves with their own businesses and schools are reportedly forming, with economic benefits flowing back to Beijing. Russia faces a demographic crisis and is unable to populate its own territories, creating a vacuum that is being filled by foreign migration. China maintains a neutral stance on the war in Ukraine but continues close cooperation with Moscow, including energy purchases and the supply of dual-use goods.