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Russians Invade Beijing
f f ^-y^HERE you see the end I of the great Ruaaian JL empire." says a Beijing based Moscow jour nalist as he gesture* toward the Yabaolu market on the edge of Beijing's foreign em bassy district
Even In the dead of winter, the open-air clothing stalls are doing a brisk business. Their customer* are mainly Russian* with a few Ukrainian* and Bytonisaalns
Il I* the latest wave of Ea*t European trader* to hit the
Chinese capital In the post few year*. Previous Influxes prompted the eager Chinese getlhu. or private business people, to learn basic sales term* In Polish, then Serbo-Croatian.
There are also quite a few Romanian* buying in Beijing tht* winter. But the big crowd is Russian, and whether or not the dealer can manage lo say "pure wool" tn Russian, the moat Important bargaining Is done with pocket calculators.
One trader tn his early thirties says he ha* made a dozen or more trip* to Beijing since last July, taking back around 2,000 down jacket* each time The cheapest can be bought for US815 in thi* market and sold for three times that amount lo a Moscow shop.
But this is likely to be his last trip as Aeroflot tickets have Just skyrocketed to US$500 round trip, says the trader.
"Moscow Is a garbage heap," he declares. He talks at length about the logistics and costs of doing this kind of business. A pained took crosses his face, followed by a long silence before he names his occupation — associate professor of engineering.
Among the after noon shoppers are the manager of a watch factory and a tourism official. both from Minsk, a Ukrainian musician, a waiter, a Nigerian student studying in Kiev and several Aeroflot employees from Moscow. The camera lens Andrey Broshkov. the hockey player, docs have such a lens in hi* hotel room, and an agreement to reached lo sell it to Ihc Chinese
The trading goes both way* The Russian* bring tn watche*. camera. Marlboro cigarette*, even spare part* for Lada care
Watche* with Bush and Gorbachev portrait*. Ru**ian red stars or perestroika logo* can be bought In this market, right next to the jeans and Jackets. Even casual strollers are approached by Chinese eager to buy the inexpensive but good quality Zenyth camera* and Russian watche*. •
There are indication*, however, that the Chinese au thorilles arc cracking down on such activities In the pest few weeks, a sign. In Russian, ap pea red in a nearby clothing market that to also popular with East European buyers, warning that foreigner* arc forbidden to sell articles in the street.
Also tn recent weeks, television publicity was given lo the apprehension of a foreigner carrying Into the coun try another popular Russian trading Hem — Pekingese puppies The dogs are much sought after In Beijing where there are none for sale owing to severe restrictions placed on dog ownership tn Chinese cities.
The relaxation on Soviet travel restrictions last year made thts trade possible. It is lucrative not only because of scarcity back home, but also because of the lack of import duties or taxes, arhich were lifted last September. But these advantages are now be tag offset by the increased cost of travel Even the twice weekly Trans-Siberian railway trip to becoming more costly
There to also another ob slacle to contend with — Russian gangsters who have come atong with the traders. Sergey Fihanln. a Ukrainian tour director who to here with
a group of 16 people. *ay* that when the racketeer* make, their move. group members must turn over 10 per cent of the cash they are carrying In return for a promtoc that they will not be bothered for another three day*
Everyone pay* The public tty in the former Soviet Unlpn about the "savagery of such gang*, which appeared arith the collapae of Communist rule, is sufficient to cnsurc compltancc. The fear to thai ihoac who don't cooperate in Beijing will be met at the
Shopper* pointed out about five or seven gangsters In this market — tall, young boys with shaved head*, one with a**car on hi* face and wearing a goto earring. They patrol the perimeter of the market, occasionally stopping to inspect the merchandise They make trouble only for Russians. Other foreigners and the Chinese are left atone.
Ftllantn says he expects his group members to each net about US$500 on this trip. Most earn about 50 dollars a month, making their profit equivalent to more than five years' wages.
For Flltanln's group, this will be the last shopping trip to Beijing, even though "back, home prices are going up, the economic situation is getting worse, everything Is falling apart." . _ IPS