Interrelations of Siberia and China in the Frameworks of Silk Road Economic Belt

Abstract

The aim of the present research was to define the place of Siberia in the current Chinese concept of the Silk Road Economic Belt. The paper features the current state, potential benefits, and possibilities of integrating Siberia into the concept of the Silk Road Economic Belt. An analysis of the commodity structure of exports to China showed that the increasing capacity of transport routes and new highways will strengthen the export and resource role of Siberia. The process is bound to increase deforestation and the export of raw materials to China, especially in the absence of large-scale investments into industrial production. The authors questioned representatives of the Chinese delegation on the economic image of Siberia in China, the future of the bilateral economic interaction, and the needs of the Chinese economy. The concept of local economy proved beneficial on the municipal scale, while the New Angarstroy project will develop production enterprises in Siberia on the national scale, which will meet domestic demand and boost export to China. The Silk Road Fund, established within the Silk Road Economic Belt, and the Russian-Chinese Regional Development Investment Fund can be effectively used as material and financial resources for the economic development of Siberia. They can provide investment in infrastructure and enterprises that will be repaid in the medium and long term.