World
Blagoveshchensk-on-Amur: Where Russia and China come very close
a report
Status: 03/20/2023 09:22 AM
Rarely anywhere else do Russians and Chinese get so close as they do in Blagoveshchensk am Amur. Chinese sellers used to come to the Russian markets. Today they are the bosses here.
A thick layer of ice covers the Amur: you could walk across it to China if it weren’t for the border guards on both sides of the river. Nowhere are the Russians and the Chinese closer than here, between the cities of Blagoveshchensk and Heihe.
Blagoveshchensk is a very nice and tidy city. Russia’s Window to the East: A huge Russian tricolor flutters on the beach, so big you probably won’t miss it from Heihe.
“Twenty years ago there were only a few wooden houses and trees,” says Olga Kushnareva, the owner of a travel agency in Blagoveshchensk. Today, high-rise buildings, shopping malls, and an amusement park line the Chinese banks of the Amur River. At the time, as a student, Kushnarjowa drove regularly to China – as little traffic was allowed at the border.
The Chinese Li Li-Hua first came to Blagoveshchensk more than 20 years ago. Today she is a building contractor in the Russian city.
Photo: Ina Ruck
Go with empty pockets, count fully packed
Their ilk were called „weavers’ shuttles,” she says, because they were always going back and forth. Outside with two empty suitcases, packed in the back with merchandise: Adidas, Dior, Levi’s – all fake, but ordered. „Way back, I’d sometimes put on ten pairs of jeans, one on top of the other: you wrap the tape around the first, then you pull on the other, the bigger one, and so on. Allowed.”
The items were resold to all of Russia: „Blagoveshchensk was the Adidas capital of the Soviet Union.”
They also came from the Chinese side. On the market, small merchants from Heihe sold everything that could be brought from the Chinese for a few rubles – tools, toasters, and branded imitation clothes.
Until now, there are such markets in Blagoveshchensk, but Chinese merchants have long hired Russian sellers. The Chinese are now bosses here.
The Chinese are making a career in Russia
Li Li-Hua sits at her huge gold-trimmed desk, typing numbers into her calculator. A mural showing Chinese President Xi. Li Li-Hua first crossed the river 20 years ago and later opened one of the first Chinese tea rooms here.
Today it is a construction contractor, one of the largest in Blagoveshchensk. It says it has already built more than 3,000 apartments. „The market is huge, people are buying and selling because there is government support.” With its „cheap Far Eastern mortgages,” Moscow wants to make the Far Eastern region more attractive – and stop the population’s decline.
In downtown Blagoveshchensk, posters announce service as a contract soldier.
Photo: Ina Ruck
Very few Russian specialists
Russians, Tajiks and Chinese work on Li Lihua construction sites. She says that there are very few Russian specialists. She’s on construction sites every day, and knows every floor plan and every worker.
Her nine-story apartment was built of brick, which is better than concrete in this area. Especially after she produced the bricks herself, she had bought many brickworks here. It is proudly displaying a house with 1 and 2 bedroom flats almost completed. She basically built it with a balcony, it’s well thought out and functionally designed.
The fact that many in Blagoveshchensk now have Chinese chiefs doesn’t seem to bother anyone in the city. „We call Li Li-Hua Larissa here, it’s easier. She’s one of us,” says a member of the ruling party council, who used to work as a lawyer for Li Li-Hua. „You do so much for our city.”
Travel to People’s Republic of China
Travel agency Olga Kushnargua believes that China can replace everything that Russia loses as a result of Western sanctions. She herself is fluent in Chinese and sells holiday trips mainly to Asia: the all-inclusive China Sea is very popular and of course Thailand or Vietnam. Rarely does anyone want to go to Europe – it’s too far away.
Kushnargua is a patriot and supports the war against Ukraine: Russia must defend itself and protect its borders. President Vladimir Putin is doing everything right. If you ask her who is responsible for the war, she is sincerely surprised when asked: „Definitely not Russia.” You have not been to Ukraine before.
The war is far away and still exists
War is a nine hour flight from here and yet it is there. Men from the Far East of Russia also go to war. Recruitment posters are scattered all over town, and some cars have a „Z”, the war symbol, written on themselves. One of Kushnareva’s employees lost his brother.
Li-Li-Hua does not like to talk about war. If you ask her carefully what everyone here calls „special ops,” she simply says that wars are fundamentally bad and changes the subject.
Hehe gave the neighbors a gift for the New Year: because of the war in Ukraine, the Blagoveshchensk city administration decided not to fireworks. „But the Chinese made one for us. With a laser show, with light effects, it was beautiful,” says Olga Kushnargua. „We were all at the beach and glad they did it for us.”
„Praktyk żywieniowy. Guru bekonu. Irytująco pokorny entuzjasta zombie. Uczeń totalny”.
US President’s announcement Joe BidenThe move to suspend arms sales to Israel if it invades densely populated residential areas in Rafah has drawn strong criticism from the Israeli government. Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben Gvir wrote on the X platform that the Islamic movement Hamas loves Biden.
In turn, Israeli opposition politicians criticized Ben Gvir for putting Israel in danger with such statements. However, Ben Gvir, who is considered a far-right extremist, is not a member of the war cabinet and therefore is not directly involved in key decisions in the Gaza war.
President Isaac Herzog also responded to Ben Gvir X’s post. “We must refrain from baseless, irresponsible and offensive comments and tweets,” he said.
The United States is said to have suspended the delivery of heavy bombs to Israel
Before Ben Gvir, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, had already expressed his disappointment with Biden’s announcement. Erdan told Israeli Kan radio: “This is a difficult and very disappointing statement from a president to whom we have been grateful since the beginning of the war.” Biden’s announcement would give Israel’s enemies such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran „hope of success.”
Biden had told CNN that he supports a large-scale invasion of the southern city, which is crowded with hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees. Gaza strip His country will not supply weapons. The US government had already detained a shipment of ammunition due to Israeli actions in Rafah. American media reported that the shipment included 3,500 bombs, including bombs weighing 2,000 pounds (907 kg). According to analysts, Israel uses these devices in the war against Hamas, for example to destroy underground Islamist tunnels.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin explained to Congress on Wednesday that the United States expects Israel to take specific measures in Gaza to protect civilians. However, 2,000-pound bombs can cause „collateral damage.”
„Deep frustration” over limited US support
The news portal reported that senior Israeli officials expressed „deep frustration” over the seized shipment and warned that it could jeopardize indirect negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. Axios With reference to two anonymous sources.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote in a statement that Israel had received a reminder “that the war of independence is still ongoing.” When it was founded in 1948, the country also faced a US arms embargo. “Today we will once again achieve complete victory in this war, despite President Biden’s opposition and the arms embargo. We simply have no other choice because this war is an existential battle and anything less than comprehensive victory puts the existence of the United Nations at risk.” “The Jewish state will be put in danger,” Smotrich said.
Follow all the current events in the war between Israel and Hamas on our live blog.
US President’s announcement Joe BidenThe move to suspend arms sales to Israel if it invades densely populated residential areas in Rafah has drawn strong criticism from the Israeli government. Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben Gvir wrote on the X platform that the Islamic movement Hamas loves Biden.
In turn, Israeli opposition politicians criticized Ben Gvir for putting Israel in danger with such statements. However, Ben Gvir, who is considered a far-right extremist, is not a member of the war cabinet and therefore is not directly involved in key decisions in the Gaza war.
„Praktyk żywieniowy. Guru bekonu. Irytująco pokorny entuzjasta zombie. Uczeń totalny”.
Ukraine bombs targets in Russia. Poland arrests a Russian soldier on the border. All information in the news blog.
The most important things at a glance
inclusion
Parliament in Kyiv approves the use of prisoners on the front
6:02 AM: The Ukrainian parliament approved a bill allowing the deployment of prisoners to the front. As MP Olena Shuljak announced on Facebook, deputies in Kiev voted in favor of the project in the second reading with 279 yes votes.
In exchange for amnesty, this allows imprisoned criminals to be deployed in the ranks of the Ukrainian armed forces on the front. According to Shuljak, this should only happen on a voluntary basis. In addition, those affected may have less than three years of imprisonment remaining. Dangerous criminals imprisoned for multiple murders, rapes or attacks on national security are not given the opportunity.
Deputy Shuliak emphasizes that before the operation is performed, the physical and mental condition of the prisoners is also examined. Before the law enters into force, it must be signed by the Speaker of Parliament and the President of the Republic.
Ukraine bombs Russian targets – fires and casualties
5:48 AM: According to Russian sources, a Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire in a refinery in the Russian Krasnodar region. The regional administration said via the short message service „Telegram” that about six drones were shot down, but the debris fell on the refinery near the village of Yurovka and led to a fire. Several tanks were damaged.
In addition, according to Russian sources, at least eight people were injured and several homes and cars were damaged in a Ukrainian airstrike in Russia’s Belgorod region. The governor of the region bordering Ukraine said that an 11-year-old girl was among the injured and was taken to hospital.
Great Britain wants to expel the Russian military attaché
8:38 pm: Britain announced the imminent expulsion of the Russian military attaché. In fact, he is a „little-known military intelligence officer,” Home Secretary James Cleverley said in Parliament in London. A military attaché is a member of the armed forces who serves in an embassy and represents his country’s defense sector abroad.
Cleverley also announced that several Russian properties on British soil that London suspected were being used for „intelligence purposes” would lose their diplomatic status. Cleverly also reveals “new restrictions on Russian diplomatic visas”, in particular limiting the amount of time Russian diplomats can spend in the UK. The Russian ambassador was summoned and informed of the procedures.
Russia rejects the accusations against military attaché Maxim Ilovik and criticizes the loss of diplomatic status for Russian properties. „London decided to justify its anti-Russian measures with lies,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in Moscow. It announced a „strong response” from Russia without going into details.
GPS interference: Estonia appoints Russian charge d’affaires
7:23 pm: Estonia has summoned the Chargé d’Affaires of the Russian Embassy in Tallinn due to a disruption in GPS satellite navigation in the Baltic Sea region. Foreign Minister Margos Tsahkna said in Tallinn that so-called jamming – that is, active disruption of the signal – by Russia is becoming increasingly common. This causes confusion and has a major impact on civil aviation. Aircraft use a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal to determine their location and for navigation.
„Praktyk żywieniowy. Guru bekonu. Irytująco pokorny entuzjasta zombie. Uczeń totalny”.
Der Beginn des Europawahlkampfs der österreichischen Grünen ist von Turbulenzen um Spitzenkandidatin Lena Schilling überlagert worden. Am Mittwoch erschien in der österreichischen Zeitung „Der Standard“ ein Bericht, in dem Schilling zwar keine rechtlichen – oder im engeren Sinne politischen – Vorwürfe gemacht werden, aber in dem ein äußerst ungünstiges Charakterbild gezeichnet wird.
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Anlass der Berichterstattung ist eine gerichtliche Unterlassungserklärung, mit der sich Schilling verpflichtet, bestimmte Behauptungen über Personen aus ihrem privaten Umfeld nicht mehr zu verbreiten. Daran anknüpfend zitiert die Zeitung mehrere anonyme Gesprächspartner in einer Weise, die es nahelegt, dass die junge politische Quereinsteigerin – bekanntgeworden als Klimaaktivistin – häufiger falsche abträgliche Behauptungen über andere Personen in die Welt setze. Schilling mochte sich in der Sache nicht äußern, da es sich um ihr Privatleben handle. Es werde gegen sie mit Gerüchten und Unterstellungen „kampagnisiert“.
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Zeitung kritisiert Reaktion des Parteivorsitzenden
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Die Chefredaktion des linksliberalen Blattes rügte ihrerseits, dass der Grünen-Vorsitzende journalistische Arbeit als „Gefurze“ bezeichne. Man könne jede behauptete Einzelheit belegen. Veröffentlicht wurde – bei geschwärzten Namen – die Unterlassungserklärung. In dem Artikel wird ausführlich begründet, warum man sich entschlossen habe, in dieser Weise über Dinge zu berichten, die die Privatsphäre berühren. Schilling sei Spitzenkandidatin, werde wahrscheinlich ins Europaparlament einziehen und könnte dort die österreichische Grünen-Delegation anführen. Daher sei sie eine Person öffentlichen Interesses, und es sei relevant, wie sie sich gegenüber Kollegen und auch Medien verhalte.
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In einem Fall geht es darum, dass sie einem Journalisten sexuelle Belästigung vorgeworfen haben soll. Der Mann sei von einer Kündigung bedroht gewesen, doch habe eine Untersuchung durch seinen Arbeitgeber keine Hinweise darauf ergeben, dass an dem Vorwurf etwas dran sei.
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Die Grünen sprachen hingegen von einer „organisierten Kampagne“. Die Fraktionsvorsitzende Sigrid Maurer meinte, das sei auch direkt gegen junge Frauen gerichtet. Klimaschutzministerin Leonore Gewessler bezeichnete die Vorwürfe als „hemmungslos“. Schilling selbst äußerte, dass sie lieber über politische Inhalte diskutieren wolle, nämlich den Klimaschutz.
„Praktyk żywieniowy. Guru bekonu. Irytująco pokorny entuzjasta zombie. Uczeń totalny”.
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