Fears grow of Chinese moving into Russian east

1.  Last year, Russia issued 800,000 visas to Chinese people, while China issued 1.5m visas to Russians travelling to China. The total number of Chinese living in the region is fewer than 200,000.

2.  The real problem is declining population. According to the Institute of Economic Research in the Far East, the region has lost 16.5 per cent of its population since 1989.

3.  Last week, the head of Russia's migration service said, "Settlements like Chinatowns are unacceptable for Russia and I can assure you we won't have them in Russia."

4.  Russian police regularly hassle Chinese traders even if their documents are in order.  "This has become normal," one trader explains, as three uniformed policemen walk away after helping themselves to a few "presents" from his stall.

5.  Excursions to China are so common that most people don't consider it going abroad.   There is a whole generation of people who go to China to drink beer, but who have never been to Moscow or St Petersburg.