The relevance of the research subject lies in the fact that today's ties between China and Russia include an extensive system of relations in various spheres: trade and economic, investment, cultural, international organizations, etc. The author sets a goal of studying the fundamental features of migration processes from China to the Russian Far East, taking into account the available cultural, social and economic specifics. The research is based on the application of such general scientific methods as analysis, synthesis, generalization with the application of a systematic research approach, as well as content analysis of foreign (primarily Chinese) and Russian sources (academic publications, media, legal documents). The article collects and analyzes official statistical data on Russian and Chinese trans-border migrants from 2011 to 2021. As a result of the research the following characteristic features of cross-border migration between the two countries were revealed: despite the significant population size of both countries (although with a significant difference in indicators), the number of cross-border immigrants between China and Russia is small; since 2012, the number of bilateral immigrants between China and Russia has been growing and demonstrates a high stable growth trend. Meanwhile, in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2020, the number of immigrants from China to Russia significantly exceeded the number of migrants from Russia to China, with Russians increasingly viewing China as a priority destination for international immigration. An analysis of the causes and volumes of cross-border flows between China and Russia, the factors of the current international environment, Russia's immigration policy, the political and economic situation of China and Russia, and cultural traditions convincingly prove that the «Chinese immigration threat theory» promoted by some Russian ultra-nationalists has no real basis in reality.
Chinese immigration; transnational migration; cross-border immigration activities; foreign immigration; Russian Federation; China.