Information has spread on the Internet that the Chinese are destroying the forest in the taiga and soon there will only be bare stumps left. You shouldn’t believe this, this is a so-called fake - facts are taken as a basis, but they are distorted and added on top with fabrications from the category “Putin is to blame for everything.” Forests were cut down always and everywhere, but the official media did not write about the “rent” of Siberia.
Why are the Chinese cutting down forests in Siberia?
They write that Russia allegedly allocated 1 million hectares of forest to the PRC for felling. The reason is that China is in great need of wood and sees Russia as its main partner. Rosselkhoz allegedly confirmed, saying that part of Siberia was legally allocated for Chinese investment in logging activities (different parts of the text are placed in quotation marks without reference to the source).
The following data is provided:
- 1.5 million cubic meters of forest in Primorye are cut down every year illegally for shadow structures;
- Since 2002, the World Wide Fund for Nature has been threatening the complete destruction of forests in Russia;
- Illegal timber sales in the Far East generate revenues of $450 million and most of goes to Asian customers;
- the FSB border department reports hundreds of dead animals found in the possession of detained Chinese;
- obtaining permission for sanitary felling in Irkutsk region, Chinese mercenaries take the most valuable wood and sell it;
- the Chinese government has banned the purchase of finished lumber from the Russian Federation;
- The Chinese generally do not tend to care about flora and fauna.
“Moreover, they either talk about illegal deforestation, or they write that an entire part of Siberia is already being sold to the People’s Republic of China for 49 years.”
Fact or fiction?
These are all separate theses that may be partly true. Trees are sawed and cut down, animals are shot illegally, shady business brings in millions, and the wood is sold to the Chinese. But the words that this only happens in Russia, that Asian expansion is just around the corner, and that the taiga is turning into a desert are yet another attempt by the “liberals” to compromise the Russian government.
The emphasis is on politics, and not on the shadow economy or environmental problems (the authorities are to blame!). Ultimately, it all comes down to selling out the country, exterminating plants, animals and people (fear of the future!). Only citizens can take steps to change the situation (hope and call... for revolution?).
Photos with “bald” forests are added to the texts - huge territories, strewn with stumps. It is impossible to determine the filming location from these photos. These same frames are found in English-language articles and the territories of completely different countries are depicted there. The following photos can often be seen in articles about the destruction of taiga for lumber:
Here is Indonesia
And here is Canada
In fact, the last ten years have been marked by a decrease in Russian timber harvesting, of which the United States has more. It would be physically impossible to hide the millions of hectares of tree trunks being transported to another country, or to divert public attention from it.
“The fake news that the Chinese are in control of Siberia has existed for many years.”
Authorities Trans-Baikal Territory in 2015, we entered into an agreement for 24 billion rubles with the Huae Xingban company from Zhejiang, which wanted to invest in 115 thousand hectares of agricultural territory for 49 years - the same “lease of Siberia”. It's about about fields long unused and wild. This is 800 thousand hectares left over from the times of the USSR, a small part of which they wanted to give to China for reclamation. There was no mention of deforestation. The project never came into effect.
The companies that “cut down” Russian forests are the following:
- Trans-Siberian Forestry Company (Irkutsk) is the “largest” in Russia, as they say in fakes, but in fact it was liquidated in 2016. The founder is Great Gaining Limited (Hong Kong), but in fact it is just an offshore company registered in another country, the purpose of which is to save on taxes. There is more than one enterprise hidden under the address of this company. The volume of forest of 1 million cubic meters per year that was cut down by TSLC is a very small amount of logging. Soviet Union gave exports of hundreds of millions of cubic meters annually.
- Shay Thai LLC (Tomsk). The founder was the company Solntse LLC. Liquidated in 2018 and was engaged in the sale of hardware, etc., and not in deforestation.
- LLC "Gina" (Buryatia). Engaged in the extraction of ores and sand of non-ferrous metals. It has nothing to do with the sale of wood.
Trees are really being taken to China
In the management of the above-mentioned companies there are Chinese faces, but this does not mean that Russian timber was sold. There are actually many representatives of the Celestial Empire in Siberia and they buy timber. has been around for a long time. Now it has sharply decreased because the Russian government has established restrictive customs duties on the export of Siberian timber from the country. Some species, such as Buryat cedar, are completely prohibited from cutting.
The activities of wood processing industries are controlled by a commission consisting of ecologists and other scientists. For example, in Buryatia, only a quarter of the permissible volume is cut down. To be fair, it should be said that there is illegal logging, and the purchase and sale of documents for it, and such timber is transported by railcar to China. Only these are not the millions of cubic meters that are destroyed by fire every year.
“In 2017, 4.5 million hectares burned Russian forest. That's where the real problem lies."
Bottom line
The problem of deforestation (including illegal) exists, but it is not global scale and does not threaten the life of the nation, like forest fires. The truth is that trees are cut down, sawn and sold within reasonable limits. A statement like “Putin sold Siberia” is intended to stoke popular resentment against the Russian government. Photos depicting large areas cut down forests, “came” from English-language sites and there is no taiga on them. Comments that breathe anger can be just as false as texts that make mountains out of molehills.
Russia has been selling timber to China since time immemorial. It was floated to its southern neighbor along numerous rivers, transported on carts, Soviet times Even road transport began to be used. But to establish regular supplies of timber and lumber, and even more so of more deeply processed products, for example, paper, railway it never succeeded on a truly significant scale.
And this is even despite the emergence of such arteries as the Chinese Eastern Railway, the Trans-Siberian Railway, and then the BAM. China has never been, and even today has not become, the main buyer of “Russian timber”. We have long chosen Finland for this role. However, according to Rosstat data. In terms of roundwood purchases, the Chinese have already become leaders.
Harvesting and export of round timber in Russia. Source: Rosstat
However, the information background around a number of generally insignificant projects and decisions on cooperation between Russia and China in the forestry industry almost immediately became negative. Social media literally filled with messages about “cutting down Siberian forests,” about “echelons of round timber prepared for shipment to the Celestial Empire.”
In Buryatia and Transbaikalia, “greens” and citizens in solidarity with them regularly hold rallies, concerned about the fate of the “Russian forest”. And at the same time with the forest - and sacred Baikal. And few people noticed that all this happened in conditions when China very significantly increased the volume of purchases of wood products, as well as unprocessed timber from the United States.
Yes, precisely in the USA, where, unlike Russia, the scale of deforestation has not been decreasing at all in recent years. At the same time, in China itself, contrary to numerous statements about a complete ban on deforestation, this industry is not only developing, but growing at an accelerated pace.
As a result, the conclusion literally suggests itself that the problem of “Chinese lumberjacks” is not just largely far-fetched. Apparently, it was inspired by those who do not benefit from expansion economic ties two countries in any field. And it doesn’t matter anymore that reality refutes fake news over and over again, especially since there are actually more and more “bad forests” in Russia.
And not only in Siberia and around Lake Baikal. But this does not always happen only because it is barbarically cut down. Either the Chinese, or local Chinese mercenaries. Strange as it may seem, but among the reasons for the degradation of many forests there is clearly insufficient volumes of cuttings carried out for the purpose of cleaning and protection from various kinds pests.
However, we must not forget that China also buys timber from a number of other countries, and almost regular interruptions in supplies from Russia are generally not critical for it. The interruptions themselves are connected, as usual, with our internal Russian problems.
At the same time, it’s not even official statistics, and the data of independent research centers, for example, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), indicate truly amazing facts.
Even taking into account illegal logging in most regions, where, according to a number of media reports, forests are being cut “uncontrollably” for China, the volume of industrial logging does not even reach the minimum required scale.
The scale required to maintain forests in a condition that is commonly called among experts “permissible for deforestation, in which the ecological well-being of the territory will not be damaged.” And which, by the way, subsequently makes it possible to effectively develop the forestry industry again.
For example, in Buryatia, according to estimates by the same WWF, which practically coincides with Rosstat data, on average, it is possible, and in fact necessary, to annually cut down 10 million cubic meters (in 2017 - 10.5 million). However, no more than 27% of this volume is cut down in the republic every year (the average for the last ten years is 23%). For example, last year only 2.6 million cubic meters were cut down.
The situation is approximately the same with information about millions of cubic meters that go to China for next to nothing. We won’t even argue about “pricelessness”: after all, whoever wants to work at a loss cannot be prohibited from doing so. It is more important that tax and customs duties be fully consistent with export volumes.
So, are exports of unprocessed wood to China increasing? As you can see from the Rosstat graph below, they are growing slightly, but after such a significant decline that there is still no talk of even reaching the level of 2011.
In fact, statistics show that, starting around 2008, almost synchronously with the global financial crisis, supplies to China began to grow not of round timber, but of lumber. Let's not forget the fact that it was in 2008 Russian government sharply (up to 25 percent) increased customs duties on the export of round timber from Siberia, making them practically prohibitive.
Despite the fact that after Russia joined the WTO (in 2012), duties had to be reduced from 25 to 15 percent, the barrier remained almost insurmountable: the country introduced strict quotas. Since that time, timber can be legally exported from our country mainly in the form of lumber: boards and timber. Moreover, the industry has acquired a control system similar to that used in the alcoholic beverage industry, when a labeled unit of product is tracked all the way to the retail counter.
It is clear why at the same time in Transbaikalia, the Irkutsk region and Buryatia, as well as in neighboring regions, although not on such a scale, their own processing began to rapidly develop. Both on the basis of timber industry enterprises that managed to survive since Soviet times, and due to the emergence of many small and medium-sized farms with their own sawmills. All this together led to a decrease total indicators volumes of Russian timber exports to China.
However, with the development of local processing, purchases of boards and lumber immediately began to increase, which, as we see, is confirmed by statistics.
Two devaluations of the ruble that occurred during Lately, pushed their Chinese partners to change their business strategy. Instead of trying to settle in the “Russian forest” with their own teams of lumberjacks, or, moreover, trying to get into woodworking themselves in one way or another, they decided to take the path of investing in Russian production.
And it’s better directly, buying shares in enterprises or turning them into Russian branches of Chinese companies. So far, it must be admitted, this strategy has not worked very well. The main reason for the difficulties in attracting investment remains the Russian bureaucracy, both at the top and at the local level, where the procedure for registering cutting areas for lease is delayed so much that accruing interest on loans sometimes discourages even the Chinese from continuing the business.
But there is another reason that obviously scares off the Chinese, scared half to death by the anti-corruption practices of the Beijing authorities. It's about pure Russian tradition work not thanks to, but in spite of. And contrary to the law as well.
The Chinese, like the Siberians themselves, are fully aware that Russian foresters, who actually don’t seem to officially exist in our country today, have turned from “masters of the taiga” into sort of “gods of the forest.”
Forest officials are almost entirely mired in corruption. The selfless, of course, practice of allocating more plots than allotted in the documents has long become the norm. In this regard, official logging statistics do not reflect the real scale of harvesting.
And most likely, exports too, although crossing the Russian-Chinese border with a significant “overweight” is still not at all easy. And yet, as lumberjacks say, if a hundred cubic meters grow on one hectare, this does not mean at all that three hundred or even four hundred cannot be cut down on it.
Judging only by the volume of sales of timber and lumber, it becomes clear that in the regions bordering China, much more forests are cut down than is reported. In addition, the Russian “rules of the game” in this area, starting with the notorious Forest Code, are such that today, in fact, there is no one to answer for the barbaric use of forests. The country's full-fledged forestry industry seems to exist only on paper.
The Republican Forestry Agency of Buryatia, commenting on the hype around the “Chinese expansion”, noted that they are much more concerned about the practice of modern logging itself. After the introduction of strict rules and quotas, it became common for timber obtained quite legally to be exported legally too. But no one can even imagine how it was cut down and taken away.
Increasingly, the cultivation of plots is carried out with gross violations of forest management rules, or rather, without rules at all. Clear cutting down, right down to young trees, no longer surprises many people, let alone frightens them. The plots are not cleared after felling, which prevents the growth of new trees, and the forest does not recover. And the count in such a cutting is, alas, not by hundreds of cubic meters, but by tens of thousands.
In Russia today there is no effective forest protection; in fact, no, even minimal, measures have been taken to combat forest fires. And even more so for their prevention. For everything, as has been the case for many years, the Ministry of Emergency Situations takes the rap.
Is it any wonder that forests in Russia, and primarily in the taiga zone, are degrading faster than they can even be cut down? And this is not done by guests from the Middle Kingdom.
The Irkutsk region holds the anti-record: last year, more than a million cubic meters of forest were illegally cut down and exported. From Siberia it is sent mainly to China, which is also the largest legal buyer of Russian timber. Thus, last year, 64% of unprocessed Siberian timber, or 12.76 million cubic meters of wood, was legally sent to the Celestial Empire. Also for last year The Chinese purchased 53% of lumber from the Russians, amounting to 14.15 million cubic meters of timber.
ON THIS TOPIC
However, our Chinese neighbors do not disdain their own illegal logging, especially in border areas. The thirst for profit pushes both Chinese and Russian “black” fellers to commit illegal actions.
“The problem of illegal logging remains one of the key ones,” emphasized the Minister of Natural Resources (MNR) Sergei Donskoy in an interview with Gazeta.ru. The Ministry of Natural Resources sees the primary sources of the problem in the low incomes of local residents and at the same time the high profitability of illegal cutting of green spaces. They also complain about the lack of government funding. The ministry is even discussing the need for remote monitoring of Siberian forests from satellites. And first of all, monitor the Irkutsk region, since this is where it goes “to the left” greatest number wood
The recently approved interdepartmental plan to prevent illegal logging and trafficking of timber until 2020 contains a whole range of measures designed to curb the activities of illegal fellers and illegal trade in Russian timber. The plan includes, among other things, monitoring the activities of wood processing enterprises, points of receipt and shipment of wood, marking of forests and other steps to ensure the legality of logging and wood trade.
In the meantime, forest areas are declining at a catastrophic rate. To be fair, it should be noted that this is not only due to illegal logging, but also Forest fires, other natural disasters. The result is millions of lost hectares.
In terms of forest volume, only Brazil can compete with Russia, which is catching up with us in terms of territory. But at the same time, forest is the most inefficiently used resource in our country. What do we do with wood? In essence, we simply sell round timber abroad. Moreover, the budget receives huge sums less from the sale of this, because most of it is smuggling.
Today there is active deforestation in Siberia, and not only Russian companies. The fact is that Siberian forests have long been sold to the Chinese. Millions of hectares are leased for logging. Therefore, when buying Chinese notebooks, pencils and other wood products, Russians can be said to be returning the forest to their homeland. But the homeland has gained nothing from this forest in terms of budget revenues, workload of production and workers. The trouble is that the Chinese take away the round timber, paying only once and only to one person. In recent years, there has been growing concern in the Russian blogosphere about the deforestation of Siberian forests. Citizens are sounding the alarm that this is happening completely uncontrolled by the state and on an absolutely immense scale.
“Shocked! One million hectares of Siberian forest were sold to the Chinese! They are taking our wealth to the ground…” blogger Marina is horrified.
"That's news to me too! Yes, in our Chita region Since 1991, the forest has been cut down and exported by the Chinese. If previously, according to the agreements, they had the right to export only “gorelik” - standing on the vine after fires, now they are transporting everything that is possible and impossible, out of their minds with impunity. Because not only did they organize the arson themselves, but they also cut down everything for this bench. Primorye and the Far East were cut down even during the Soviet Union - the most valuable species: oaks, pines, cedars, elms, ash trees... My parents live in the East, in the part where the forest stands like a wall, or rather stood. I come home and don’t recognize my native place... they cut it off and continue...", writes user Ofigenia on one of the Tomsk forums .
“Okay, you have 250 kilometers to the border, but here in Tomsk region? Moreover, a third of the country travels this forest on freight trains... and nothing! No violations were noticed! Ugh! The same Chinese shot those responsible for this...,” notes USSR
“But I’m really scared... the forests are burning, they’re being cut down illegally, and then they’re selling them legally to everyone in such quantities that soon we’ll be unable to breathe,” notes evgesh-ka
In fact, the situation is such that the residents of the border Far Eastern settlements themselves are not averse to selling the timber, and they explain their participation in the black market for the sale of round timber by the lack of work. It turns out that instead of building a wood processing plant, with the aim of further supplying it to China legally. Which will provide residents of remote settlements work, certain persons, so to speak, businessmen, having agreed with local authorities, cut down the resource national importance and sell it in the form of round timber, often bypassing customs points. And the Chinese are ready to pay 40 dollars for a cubic meter of this forest, immediately and in cash. An unsightly situation, which obviously lacks control not from local authorities, but control at the federal level.
Despite the fact that the focus is most often on the deforestation of Siberian forests (which is probably due to fears of land development Far East Chinese) black lumberjacks work in Altai, and even in Karelia, which is called the “lungs of Europe”, thanks to which European conservationists are actively looking after this northern forest. Let's try to figure out why officials from Federal agency Forestry (Rosleskhoz) turn a blind eye to such huge thefts, which over two decades have acquired the proportions of a national disaster?
“Unfortunately, several years ago, powers for forest control were transferred to the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and Rosleskhoz only monitors compliance with these powers by the constituent entities,” answered a question from Pravda.Ru. public figure Andformer deputy head of Rosprirodnadzor Oleg Mitvol, - And unfortunately, we see that this system does not work, because huge quantities of timber are exported to the North-West, to Finland, and then we buy products from this forest, and what is even more scary, it is growing every year the amount of round timber leaving towards China. These are Siberia and the Far East. And, unfortunately, due to the fact that no one says anything about this, in reality all this remains behind the scenes, and this is a multi-billion dollar business that is perfectly run by companies associated with local officials, and they feel at ease. They apparently have some kind of relationship with customs officers, because it’s impossible not to see these flows.”
As Mitvol noted, the state, and in particular the country’s President Vladimir Putin, “have long declared the entry into force of laws that would make the export of round timber unprofitable, and would make only the export of forest products profitable,” but these laws have not yet been adopted. “We remember that the president held meetings several times on the illegal removal of timber. But things are still there. Unfortunately, apparently, those people who are responsible for this matter today are absolutely unable to cope and do not want to cope,” concludes the ex-deputy head of Rosprirodnadzor , “The federal government doesn’t even really know what’s going on. I haven’t heard that Rosleskhoz is effectively combating the failure of subjects to fulfill their powers and, as a result, round timber exporters are left to their own devices.”
And what comes out of this? According to an investigation by American environmentalists, the results of which became known this fall, up to 80 percent of the wood cut down in Russia is sold illegally. Far Eastern wood is successfully exported illegally to China, and from there it travels to the USA, Europe and Japan. Further, goods are produced from this tree, which are supplied to Russian market and are sold at a huge price, including delivery, wood processing, and so on. Moreover, the budget of the Russian Federation does not receive a penny from these 80 percent of Russian forests. And no one is actually solving the problem. Pravda.Ru decided to find out why Russian authorities overlook the theft of timber resources, whereas in conditions of a budget deficit, when the authorities are trying to plug all the holes through which money leaks, income from processing and legal sale of timber could partly improve the situation?
As Oleg Mitvol said, the black market for round timber could most effectively be turned into a legal business with the help of laws that stimulate the economic development of Russian timber processing. How feasible this is in the context of a budget deficit is difficult to say at the level of ideas, but until laws regulating this issue appear, the timber mafia will trade in the timber market. Isn't Russia losing more money due to the illegal trade in timber that is sent abroad?
“This is a multi-billion dollar business, and not all of it goes through customs posts and, of course, as a result, when there is a black business with huge money, we can talk about the timber mafia,” said Mitvol, emphasizing that there are means to combat this market, “In -firstly, it is necessary to force the constituent entities of the Russian Federation to fulfill their powers, this should be done by Rosleskhoz. Secondly, laws should be in place that would actually prohibit the export of round timber. But, apparently, someone benefits from the situation when billions of dollars remain in their pockets, and the forest "They cut down mercilessly. By the way, this is not the case in China; they plant more than they cut down. The state controls everything, that's all."
Pravda.Ru talked about state control over Russian forests with Chairman of the State Duma Committee on natural resources and environmental management by Vladimir Kashin, who spoke about a bill aimed at solving the problem of black loggers :
“There are three great problems - fires, pest control, disease control and, of course, black loggers and unscrupulous business. All these three big problems gave rise to the fourth - the lack of reproduction, the destruction of nurseries for the production of forest crops. IN recent years two or three years ago we worked a lot, held the Presidium of the State Council in Buryatia, through the instructions of the president we received the need and support for the creation of specialized government agencies to combat pests and diseases, to restore forest protection. The law on the circulation of round timber has already been adopted in the second and third readings. And we ourselves made a turn around wide range all trade codes, including the export component. This strict accounting now begins from harvesting in the forest, transportation is carried out by a special act, a declaration of transactions, violation of this comprehensive accounting leads to the confiscation of equipment, confiscation of the forest, fines increase hundreds of times, from 500 thousand and above. Therefore, this law is very systemic, strict, and it will be necessary to comply with it,” Kashin is sure. “We already have regions where business operates conscientiously in this regard. We need to restore the productivity of forest areas, we need to restore economic profitability."
At the same time, assessing current situation on the timber market, the official agreed that the Forest Code, adopted in 2006, “opened a lot of loopholes, forest protection was simplified, and the number of foresters was reduced significantly.” Thus, today, on average in Russia, only one forester looks after 55 thousand hectares of forest. At the same time, as the head of the department said, even those who rent for logging forest areas legally, do not engage in forest restoration, citing natural processes- they say, he will grow up on his own.
“Of course, especially valuable species have been taken under special control. Literally, the law stipulates the need to brand each log: oak, beech, ash, and so on. Therefore, we hope that the law enforcement practice under this law and, in complex, all the questions that we are raising today on conservation natural diversity, including increasing the security network, including production rangers, will have a certain effect,” sums up Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Management.
However, when asked by Pravda.Ru whether the draft law being prepared will stop the cutting down and export of round timber abroad, Vladimir Kashin answered negatively. According to him, round timber will go abroad, but at the same time, accounting will be established and the black logger will be eliminated. And a conscientious forest user will “at least provide sawlogs” when processing forests. In addition, the draft law establishes the responsibility of governors through the assessment of their activities. However, if negligent officials are punished for the removal of forest with the same ridiculous fines as mentioned above (let’s look at the numbers realistically - what is a 500 thousand ruble fine for companies that pay tens of millions for renting a million hectares of forest), then the document is quite You can hang a label “for show”, because the effectiveness of its work raises huge doubts today.
The cunning Chinese have not yet decided exactly what to do with Siberia. But, just in case, they promptly remove the most valuable thing she has - the taiga. First the Far East, now the Siberian expanses: everything is being cut down at the roots. Moreover, if previously the Chinese had to officially buy forests “for free” from local administrations, bribing the heads of districts, now, within the framework of cooperation between the two superpowers Russia and China, the Kremlin has offered China hectares of forest for rent... for cutting down, of course!
Irkutsk is the best Siberian city. It was he who suffered the most from the Chinese. And this is not news" last day" For many years now, the Chinese have been growing vegetables on local lands and putting them on the shelves. local stores. One of the largest greenhouse farms, Khomutovo, which is located just 17 km from Irkutsk, is entirely owned by residents of the PRC. These lands, formerly owned by a state farm, were handed over to the Chinese by local residents for 60 thousand per 8 hectares. The powerful chemistry used to grow vegetables does not bother anyone, because their prices are much lower than domestic ones, and on the shelves they do not hesitate to write “Khomutovo”. The Chinese are happy with everything except our missile base and the largest storage facility for the missiles themselves. The cunning Chinese have masterfully managed to grow vegetables right between these two secret objects. Do you think growing vegetables is the main problem? Then you are deeply mistaken!
As you know, the PRC has practically lost its forest for a long time. A measly 95 million hectares is ridiculous. They cut everything off! But a caring government banned any logging on the territory of its country! Moreover, the Chinese began to plant empty lands with new trees! Despite this, the PRC has already received its reward from nature for the cut down forests: endless deserts, floods and terrible droughts simply fell on the poor “Chinese heads”. But is the forest needed? Where is he? Right! In rich Siberia! They cut down everything south of Baikal first. Over the course of several years, the Chinese managed to leave behind only stumps; the entire forest was carefully cut down and transported to the Middle Kingdom.
Then they moved towards the Irkutsk region. To date, all the wood along the Aleksandrovsky tract has been cut down. There's nothing left. Of course, except for the thin edge of the forest belt near the road itself, which covers this robbery with a kind of screen. Just imagine, in 2005, according to some data, 16.5 million hectares of clean forest were exported to China! At the same time, over 21 million crossed the border (the main thing is to give it to them competently!) by rail alone. The network is full of videos where Siberians film long lines of loaded cars with timber, which day and night, without ceasing, transport Siberian timber to the Celestial Empire. More than 400 round timber cars leave from the Irkutsk region to the PRC per day alone. And these are huge numbers.
Today (2017) all of Siberia is groaning from the Chinese. Factories are being built everywhere, industry is being bought out, timber is being exported en masse, and city streets are filled with happy residents of the PRC. Cafes, restaurants, shops and industry are not a bad investment for Chinese businessmen. Locals already used to it. What about our forest? There is less and less of it! On the border with China there are over 40 woodworking factories per kilometer. Work is in full swing! In October current year A record amount of timber was exported from Siberia and the Far East. The clearings are already visible even from space. Everyone is silent. And the Chinese confidently crawl on, cutting down and buying out everything they can. On this moment A huge plant is being built on our Baikal, in which the PRC is investing over 1 billion rubles. As environmentalists say, this plant will destroy Baikal and lead to irreversible environmental consequences... I'm glad that nothing will happen to the forest! After all, it had already been carefully cut down and taken to the Middle Kingdom.
It's time to put an end to the debauchery natural resources our homeland. We urge our president to look into the current situation and take appropriate measures.