Cooperation between Russia and China in the railway industry

To understand the mechanism of development of relations between Russia and China, you need to make a little digression into history. 

So, the history of Chinese civilization has about 5 thousand years. In the basin of the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers, the settlements of ancient farmers gradually turned into the first cities of the future majestic empire, which had its own army, its scientists, its philosophers. The culture of the great Celestial Empire was born. 

At the same time, thousands of kilometers from China, the first ancient Greek colonies (Panticopaeum, Olbia, Tanais) had just been founded on the Black Sea coast. 

The Eurasian expanses of the future Russia at that time belonged to semi-savage tribes who had no idea about civilization at all.

Based on these historical events, China, which has experienced the heyday and decline of more than one empire, has developed its own unique philosophy of worldview, which is based on the superiority of China over other nations. The Russian kingdom, which was formed more than five centuries ago, from the very beginning began to pursue an expansionist policy, which later helped it transform into an empire. Both empires, Russia and China, experienced ups and downs, fell under the oppression of more aggressive neighbors, overcame the consequences of internal cataclysms - popular unrest, riots and civil wars. Realizing that Europe would not allow moving to the west, Russia began to absorb Siberia and the Far East. Under such circumstances, it was impossible to avoid the meeting of both empires. And at the end of the XVII century, such a meeting took place. 

China at that time was not in the best position, being under the yoke of the Manchu Qing Dynasty. Russia, having adopted the best examples of European inventions and using Chinese military science and gunpowder, which was also invented in China, seized incredible territories that the Celestial Empire considered (and still considers) their own. The two neighboring countries began to create interstate relations, which periodically escalate into open confrontation against the background of constant rivalry for a dominant position in the international political arena. Over time, new political forces led to the fall of both empires, and relations were formed between Russia (USSR) and China (PRC), based on a large list of problems and claims that the states tried to solve diplomatically. 

The XX century was a turning point in the formation of new states. The USSR, by imposing communist ideology on the neighboring state and giving the Celestial Empire Mao Zedong, forced China to recognize the independence of Mongolia and Xijiang (part of Turkestan), whose lands the Chinese considered their own. With the help of the USSR, Beijing freed itself from the influence of the Qing dynasty, and Russia took over a significant part of Manchuria, including Primorye (Ussuri Region). Nevertheless, in the People's Republic of China, the idea is constantly cultivated that the vast territories of the Far East, a significant part of Siberia and Mongolia historically belong to China. The victory over Japan put an end to World War II, allowing the USSR to appropriate significant territories of Japan, which China also claimed, according to the results of the Yalta Conference. Extinguishing possible discontent, in 1950 the USSR transferred Dalian to China, in 1952 - the China-Eastern Railway, and in 1954-1955 - Port Arthur. In order not to aggravate the problem, Moscow did not interfere in armed conflicts when Beijing extended its influence to Korea and Vietnam, seized the territories of Eastern Tibet and India. Today, Russia does not give a concrete assessment of the possibility of an armed conflict between China and Taiwan. In addition, summing up the results of Xi Jinping's state visit to Moscow (March 20-22, 2023), the Russian side made a statement that it recognizes Taiwan as an integral part of China and opposes any of its independence, approves of China's actions as if aimed at protecting state sovereignty and territorial integrity. As for territorial claims, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, certain issues on border areas were resolved diplomatically. In order to strengthen friendly relations with Beijing, Moscow has agreed to a number of territorial concessions to China. 

Developing the infrastructure of the vast territories of Siberia and the Far East, the USSR, and later the Russian Federation, began to implement projects of large-scale construction of railway communications, improving the previously built Trans-Siberian railway and building new routes (BAM). Since when the Far Eastern territories were annexed, Russia received a significant number of Chinese people who lived on these lands, it is impossible to imagine large-scale construction without the Chinese. In general, the economic relations of the USSR and China in the field of railway transport have a long history. Joint Stock Company (CED) It worked successfully until the period when the puppet state of Manchukuo was created with the help of Japan. In order to avoid a possible war in Northeast China, the USSR was forced to cede its rights to operate the KVED in favor of Manchukuo. In the future, the KVED was attached to the South Manjur Railway with the main directorate in Mukden. 

The Second World War ended with the defeat of Japan, Manchukuo ceased to exist, and the period of restoration of railways and trains destroyed by the Japanese during the retreat began. According to the Soviet-Chinese Treaty of Friendship and Alliance, dated August 14, 1945, in the field of railway transport, the Soviet Union provided repair of broken locomotives and KVED wagons at its factories in Siberia and the Far East, organized courses in Harbin to train qualified workers for the railway, accepted Chinese to various faculties of the Harbin Polytechnic Institute. The result of such assistance was the victory of China in the national liberation war and rapid economic growth.

With the collapse of the USSR, new political and economic directions needed updating, and on July 16, 2001, a Russian-Chinese treaty on good neighborliness, friendship and cooperation was signed in Moscow. Subsequently, Vladimir Putin personally officially visited China, where he met with Xi Jinping and participated in the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Qingdao. According to the results of the summit, it was noted that in one half of the year the trade turnover between Russia and China increased by 24.8%, reaching 49.15 billion dollars. As stated by the head of the Ministry of Development of the Far East A.Galushka: "The scale of joint projects between the two countries continues to expand, and first of all it concerns the trans-border infrastructure." If we take into account that the length of the Sino-Russian border is 4,300 km, cooperation is designed for many years. Within the framework of the cooperation agreement, Chinese companies participate in large-scale projects, in particular: 

• construction of the Moscow-Kazan high-speed railway;
• development of the international transport corridor "Primorye -1", "Primorye - 2";
• construction of the Blagoveshchensk-Heihe Bridge (across the Amur River). 

The construction of another railway bridge across the Amur has been completed, and the Russians announced the start of regular communication between the settlements of Nizhneleninskoye of the Jewish Autonomous Region of the Russian Federation and Tundjan of Heilundzyan province. As part of the launch, the first freight train crossed the border of the Russian Federation. A government statement announced that the construction of the bridge was implemented within the framework of the 2008 agreement between the governments of Russia and China. The Russian Direct Investment Fund together with the State Development Corporation provided financing for 70% of the budget for the construction of the Russian part of the bridge, all other work was financed by China. With the participation of Russia, work continues on the implementation of China's newest "One Belt, One Road" program, in fact, the "New Silk Road", which provides for strategic contacts with EU countries on the basis of mutual benefit and uninterrupted trade. China, together with the member states of the EAEU (the European-Asian Economic Union), is trying to open new markets for its products through political coordination. Earlier, the project provided for Ukraine's participation in the laying of the "New Silk Road", but it did not progress beyond the plans. The Silk Road to Europe bypassed the territory of our country. At the same time, Beijing declares that it is ready, together with other EAEU members, to continue joint projects in the economy and trade, while guaranteeing strong financial support. According to statistics, in recent months China has invested more than $4 billion in 28 projects in the Far East.

As for relations between Russia and China, they remain a priority for Moscow. This is confirmed by successful cooperation on the platforms of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, regular interaction in the military-technical and military spheres. Joint exercises and exchanges between the military structures of China and the Russian Federation are being held. The Sino-Russian high-speed Rail Research Center has been established, which will become the basis for joint cooperation in the field of high-speed rail communication between China and Russia, which will accelerate the implementation of the One Belt, One Road project. The Center has already started working on the problems of railway logistics, and is working on such issues: 

• the problem of effective development of the methodology of transportation management on low-intensity railway lines;
• fundamentals of the functioning of railway lines in the context of transportation management on low-intensity lines;
• development of a mechanism for integrated integrated assessment of low-intensity lines;
• development of parameters, criteria and constraints of objective functions;
• schemes for the transition of railway lines from the category of unprofitable to break-even. 

According to most financial experts, it is impossible to imagine the full disclosure of Russian-Chinese cooperation without the development of the transport and logistics structure, especially the railway. After all, China is one of the largest trade and economic partners of the Russian Federation, the trade turnover between the countries is steadily growing, which indicates further prospects. Planning further development of railway communication between the two countries, Russia has begun to conclude agreements with training centers in China in order to provide qualified personnel for rail transportation in the future. So contracts and agreements were officially concluded: 

• contract with the Southwestern University of Railways. The year of signing is 2000, the validity period is indefinite;
• contract with the Northern University of Railways. Signed in 2001, indefinite;
• agreement with Southwest Transport University. Year of signing 2016, indefinite;
• agreement on the establishment of a Russian-Chinese scientific center in the field of high-speed train development and its interaction with the railway transport infrastructure. The year of signing is 2016, indefinite;
• contract with Zhengzhou Railway Vocational Technical Institute within the framework of the project "Transport Institute Eurasia". Year of signing 2018, indefinite;
• agreement on the implementation of the project "Institute of HSR Eurasia", between the Zhengzhou Railway Vocational Technical Institute and the Ural State University of Railways. Signed - 2018, the term of the agreement is 20 years. 

This is only part of the agreements and agreements concluded between Russia and China for the further development of railway communication between the countries. And today, many Russians are attracted by the incredible impressions that can be obtained from railway tourism in China. One of the most popular is the Sinin - Lhasa route. The trip lasts almost a day (22 hours), and during this time the train covers a distance of 1956 kilometers. This route of the Qinghai - Tibet railway is often called the "way to heaven", because the train, overcoming mountain passes and passing through numerous tunnels, lifts its passengers to a maximum height of five thousand meters. The incredible landscapes of the wild but beautiful mountains of Tibet will not leave anyone without positive emotions. And in general, where else can you become a tourist and a mountaineer at the same time? The Hefei - Fuzhou route does not last very long - 4 hours, but during this time the train overcomes 813 kilometers. This means that the average speed of the train is more than 200 km/h. During the trip, this plane train, running since 2015, passes 170 bridges (one of them is 50 km long!) and passes 54 tunnels. Passengers of the train, which is called "the most beautiful route of the high-speed railway of China", have the opportunity to see the Huangshan and Wuishan Mountains, which are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Most railway tourist routes do not require generally accepted documents, which is provided for by the border regulations of Russia and China. However, when taking a ticket for a trip to Lhasa, you need to know that a tourist permit is required to visit Tibet. The entry permit is issued in advance, from tour operators, either in Russia or in China. The original tourist permit will be checked when boarding the car to Lhasa.