It is often said that most people have little difficulty living in huts until someone builds a castle nearby; then, the poverty they are experiencing becomes unbearable, and their anger at those in the castle will inevitably grow. That adage certainly holds true for the Russian Far East, where the population is running short of food, fuel and basic services even as Moscow profits off the area’s trade with China. Not surprisingly, the people in the region are angry at China and Moscow; yet much of their ire is also directed at those closer to home who are seemingly more concerned with making money for themselves than ensuring that the basic needs of local residents are met. Some of them are protesting, but many more are leaving, creating both short-term and long-term problems for the regional and federal authorities.
Moscow’s Trade With China Leaves Russians in the Far East Hungry, Cold and Angry – Jamestown
