Putin Evaluates Success of Far East Development Program

Sept.7—Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the plenary session of the Far Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok Sept. 5. This is the tenth year of the Forum, and the 22nd year of the presentation of the Far East Development Strategy by the Putin government. He noted that the gross regional product of the Far Eastern Federal District has doubled in 10 years; coal and gold mining have increased 1.7 times in the last decade; the average wage has doubled, and the poverty rate has declined, from 11.3% to 7.2% over 10 years—lower than the national average.

Putin stated that the Far East will become a region of high-technology development, including in the field of digital development. AI will be used to better utilize pilotless drones, which can work some of the agricultural fields in Sakhalin, and other difficult regions. They could also be used to deal with forest fires in regions where it is difficult to transfer people quickly. Several new universities are also being planned for the area.

He stressed the need for creating the means of culture and recreation, to make the various areas more pleasant to live in. There is also a major move to create room for tourism in the region. The population has continued to decline, but over the last five years at half the rate it had in the previous five years. The number of people moving into the region is rising steadily, albeit not at a rate yet sufficient to offset the decline. There has, importantly, been a notable, steady increase of youth in the aged 20-24 in the region. Transportation logistics are a priority, with both the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Baikal-Amur Mainline being modernized, to expand the carrying capacity by 1.5 times by 2032 and building more access to seaports. There is now, for example, a north-south rail connection, linking the northern Arctic areas to the ports in the south.

In his speech, Putin announced the construction of a Trans-Arctic Corridor, connecting logistics and trade routes across the Arctic, and spanning Siberia, the Russian Far East, and North Korea. Putin said the network would extend to North Korea, with a bridge across the Tumen River, and another linking Russia with the North, scheduled to open next year. He also said plans are in the works to build more bridges linking the North with Russia. “We often speak about the Northern Sea Route,” Putin said. “But if you have noticed, I specifically said—and continue to say—Trans-Arctic Corridor, because we have concluded that we need to operate on a larger scale, and that this artery must function as part of a complex system with all the territories adjoining the Northern Sea Route and their capacities.”

Another element in this planning process, is the further upgrading of the Russia-China relationship, even after the just-concluded Beijing meetings. China has now established visa-free access for Russian visitors. Putin said that Russia would reciprocate, by revising the visa restrictions on Chinese travelers. There are presently two bridges spanning the Amur River which borders Russia and China. One can expect more Chinese involvement in the Russian Far East as a result.

Putin instructed his government to draft a rare earths development plan by November, and pledged to expand exchanges and encourage foreign entrepreneurs to come and participate in this colossal development project.

The announced plans, it should be pointed out, mirror those of Russia’s Prime Minister Sergei Witte at the beginning of the 20th century, including building the original Trans-Siberian Railway. Witte thought that by using a system of subsidies and support, he could begin populating these vast regions in the East and create a corridor of trade and development to the Asia-Pacific region. The British-manipulated Russo-Japanese War put a stop to that, and ultimately to the Russian Empire itself. Now, under President Vladimir Putin, Russia has developed a similar system of support for those living in the region and willing to migrate to the region, intent on making the Far East of Russia a hub of development and trade. He is also extending the notion of “priority development zones” to the entire region, which now are limited to specific sites and areas. And here, too, in a far different situation, the massive material resources represent for Russia a key component for its own, and the world’s, continued economic development and prosperity.