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International relations
Reference:

Vladivostok in interregional cooperation: problems and prospects

Dun Ichzhou

PhD in Politics

Postgraduate student, Department of International Relations, Far Eastern Federal University

Russian Island str., Ajax, 7.2, Primorsky Krai, Vladivostok, 690922, Russia

dongyizhou@mail.ru

DOI:

10.7256/2454-0641.2024.1.69673

EDN:

HOEXNV

Received:

26-01-2024


Published:

19-02-2024


Abstract: This article examines the features and main problems of Vladivostok as a large city in the Russian Far East and an important hub connecting Russia and China. The Russian Far East is a vast region rich in resources and focused on the vast market of the Asia-Pacific region. However, in recent years, a number of reasons have weakened the basis for the development of a comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and China. After the start of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in 2022, Russia actively "looks to the east" and creates a model of economic development focused on the Asia-Pacific region. The Chinese initiative "One Belt, One Road" and the strategy of comprehensive openness have created conditions for the development of cooperation between the Northeast of China and the Russian Far East. In order to promote the accelerated development of the Far East, Russia is actively creating cities with advanced socio-economic development and hopes to improve business conditions in the Far East through a number of measures such as: improving infrastructure, providing tax incentives and simplifying administrative procedures in order to increase its investment attractiveness, increase employment and contribute to the economic development of the region, which will lead to the rise of the entire national economy. The following methods of scientific research were used in the work: the method of analysis and synthesis; generalized method; classification method; specific method; systematic method; phenomenological method. The main conclusions of the study are that in the overall strategic context of the modern world, China and Russia should gradually strengthen their complementary advantages and local industrial cooperation between the two countries. Vladivostok, as the fastest growing city in the Far East, has a great influence on regional cooperation between Russia and China. China has always been Russia's largest partner in the Far East in terms of bilateral trade, foreign investment and financial participation in recent years, so how to make rational use of Vladivostok's advantages and how to solve Vladivostok's current problems (for example, transport problems, demographic problems and the investment market for enterprises of the two sides) is the way to achieve the common development of both countries.


Keywords:

strategic partnership, socio-economic, competitiveness, strategic cooperation, free port, international transportation corridor, demographic structure, transportation network, economic development, customs administration

This article is automatically translated.

 

Introduction: The object of the study is the city of Vladivostok, connecting Russia and China. The subject of the study is the current state of development of Vladivostok and the platform for cooperation between Russia and China. The purpose of this article is to analyze the approaches and prospects of Russian—Chinese cooperation in Vladivostok. The Russian Far East is a vast region rich in resources and focused on the large market of the Asia-Pacific region. However, after Russia conducted a special military operation against Ukraine in 2022, Russia is actively "looking to the east" and creates an economic development model focused on the Asia-Pacific region. In order to promote the accelerated development of the Far East, Russia is actively creating cities with advanced socio-economic development and hopes to improve business conditions in the Far East through a number of measures such as: improving infrastructure, providing tax incentives and simplifying administrative procedures.

 

 

1. The basic status of the Far East

 

In the last decade, the center of the world economy has gradually shifted towards the Asia-Pacific region, and Russia has missed a period of rapid development in this region. Changes in geostrategic, geopolitical and economic models have influenced the foreign policy of major powers, including Russia, and in 2022, after Russia conducted a Special military operation against Ukraine, Russia's diplomatic reaction took on a more "breakthrough" form in the context of Russia's diplomatic isolation from the West and economic sanctions against Russia. The policy of "looking EAST" is not only a way to break out of the Western blockade, but also a strategic path for Russia to long-term development. The best way for Russia to move forward in the new order is to build a comprehensive and friendly strategic partnership with China.

 

1.1 The current state of development of the Far East

The Russian Far East is a region in the heart of Russia, with relatively harsh natural and climatic conditions, lagging economic development and inadequate infrastructure. The model for the development of the Far East in the 1950s was based on a highly centralized planning system and specialized division of labor in the Soviet Union, which relied on annual allocations of 700 to 800 million US dollars from the central government. Although this allowed the creation of the Far East as a raw material base and demonstrated its importance to the Soviet Union, it also created a deformed and closed model of economic development, which led to a serious imbalance in the development of various sectors of the economy in the region, while the economic growth of the region was supported mainly by high levels of public investment, and the permanent population stabilized due to high levels of government subsidies [9].

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the original model of Russia's economic development was disrupted, and the economy declined sharply. On the one hand, the fiscal benefits enjoyed by the Far East were consistently canceled in the context of sluggish or even regressive economic development of the country, which put the regional economy, which has long relied on public finances in its activities, in a difficult position. On the other hand, the sharp rise in transport and electricity prices increased the burden on businesses and the population, which led to a prolonged recession and slow recovery, and a number of indicators of economic and social development turned out to be below the national average. In this situation, the total population of the Far East is constantly decreasing.

Therefore, in order to accelerate the socio-economic development of the Far East, ensure geostrategic interests and security, and develop priority areas of the regional economy, it is necessary to create a favorable investment climate and attract investments that will create jobs, consolidate and increase the population. Russia intends to create cities of advanced socio-economic development, open its doors and use the opportunities to increase the economic competitiveness of the Far East.

 

1.2 The current state of Vladivostok's development

Vladivostok is the capital of Primorsky Krai and one of the most economically developed cities in the Far East, with one of the highest levels of urbanization among all cities in the Far East. It is surrounded by mountains in the north, the Ussuri Bay in the east, the Great Peter Bay in the south, the Amur Bay in the west, the Great Siberian Railway and the Arctic Ocean Route. The city is an important window city, the distance from Japan is 1063 km (660 nm), from South Korea - 744 km (446 nm), from Beijing - 1340 km (446 nm), from Dalian - 97 km (606 nm), from Qingdao - 1254 km (779 nm). In December 2018, President Vladimir Putin officially approved the transfer of the administrative center of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia from Khabarovsk to Vladivostok [2].

In addition, Vladivostok is one of the largest natural ice-free ports in the eastern part of the country and has the highest capacity in the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia, having trading partners in the Asia-Pacific region, including China, South Korea and Japan. As the engine of the economic development of the Far East, Vladivostok has the potential to become an important center for in-depth cooperation between Russia and China in the Far East. Vladivostok's excellent geographical location can be used to further consolidate and strengthen Russia's economic relations with the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, which will contribute to deepening and strengthening comprehensive strategic cooperation between Russia and China in a new era.

 

2. Vladivostok as a platform for cooperation between Russia and China

 

Vladivostok has become an important hub in the Russian Far East, connecting China and even other Northeast Asian countries for the following reasons: first, cooperation between Russia and China at the local level is mainly reflected in economic, trade, investment, economic and technological, scientific and educational cooperation between the Northeast of China and the Far East The East of Russia, playing its role as a hub. Secondly, the city of Vladivostok is the administrative center of the Russian Far East and has a special political potential and economic value.

According to the General Administration of Customs of China, in 2021, the volume of bilateral trade between China and the Russian Far East will reach 138.9 billion US dollars, an increase of 21.7% compared to the previous year. In 2022, bilateral trade between China and the Russian Far East will reach 178.05 billion US dollars, an increase of 29.3% compared to the previous year.

Vladivostok is the only city in the eastern part of Russia where the Eastern Economic Forum for the Asia-Pacific Region is held annually, which has significant international influence; it is the city with the largest coverage of program documents of the Federal Government of the Russian Federation on local economic development in the eastern part of the country; it has the largest number of Chinese visitors among all cities in the eastern part of Russia and the most developed tertiary sector and economic indicators. Vladivostok is the city with the largest number of Chinese visitors and the most developed tertiary sector and the best economic indicators among all cities in the eastern part of Russia; it is an inland area of natural resources and an important port city and military fortress for the distribution of goods from the eastern part of Russia to the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. This suggests that Vladivostok has the potential to develop Russian-Chinese local cooperation.

Currently, Vladivostok, as a hub city, has developed four main platforms for hosting Russian-Chinese local cooperation.

1)Holding the APEC Summit

After the collapse of the Soviet Union and especially in recent years, with the special support of the Russian government, Vladivostok began with the holding of the APEC summit in 2021, and the budget of the Russian Federation allocated more than 20 billion US dollars for the reconstruction and construction of the city's infrastructure, and turning it into a hub city of China and Russia in Northeast Asia.

2)Holding of the annual Eastern Economic Forum

Since 2015, the Eastern Economic Forum has been held annually in Vladivostok, headed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The fifth Eastern Economic Forum, which will be held from September 4-6, 2019, will be dedicated to accelerating economic growth, optimizing the business environment and cooperation between the Russian Far East and the Asia-Pacific region.

The strategic importance of the Eastern Economic Forum as an important annual Russian diplomatic event lies in the fact that it provides Russia with broad opportunities for cooperation with business partners in the Asia-Pacific region, deepening participation in international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, optimizing the allocation of resources of the Asia-Pacific region, promoting the active participation of the Far East in the industrial planning of the Asia-Pacific region, and also becomes an important platform to distribute and integrate the resources of the Asia-Pacific region. Using the advantages of this platform, Russia accelerates the economic development of the Far East and increases its attractiveness for foreign investment, which is precisely the function that a hub city in the Far East should perform.

3)Vladivostok Free Port  

On July 13, 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the law on the creation of the Free Port of Vladivostok - the Law on the Free Port of Vladivostok, which entered into force on October 12, 2015 and has been in force for 70 years. The law provides for a free customs regime in the port, simplified procedures for issuing visas and administrative approvals for foreign citizens, a "single window", as well as tax benefits for companies in the port for five years from the date of registration, including land tax, corporate income tax and property tax. According to preliminary estimates of Russian experts, the economic benefits of creating a free port. Since the establishment of the free port until 2025, the Primorsky Territory of Russia will see an increase in gross regional product by 2.7 times, investment in fixed assets by 2.5 times, employment by 1.3 times and labor productivity by 2 times [14].

To date, according to the Analytical Review of the Far East, there are no more than 2 thousand residents in the register of SPV, compared to 275 in August 2017 [4].

The most significant residents of the Free Port of Vladivostok include:

— Vostochny Port JSC - construction of the 3rd stage of the coal loading complex in Vostochny port, 619 jobs;

— Khabarovsk International Airport JSC - construction of a new

passenger terminal of the international airport in Khabarovsk, 549 jobs;

— LLC "Organization of multidisciplinary services – BK" - capital construction of the Sixth microdistrict in Bolshoy Kamen (Primorsky Krai), 75 jobs;

LLC "Elbrus" - creation of an industrial complex for mining and

processing of fish in the village. Fisherman-Sailor (Primorsky Krai, Olginsky district), 189 jobs;

—Primorskaya Gold Ore Company LLC - development of the Zolotoy and Zolotoy Severny gold deposits (Primorsky Krai, Partizansky district), 130 jobs.

4)Development of the Russian-Chinese international transport corridor "Primorskiy 1" and "Primorskiy 2".

5)The Primorskiy 1 and Primorskiy 2 International Transport Corridor is a major national infrastructure development cooperation project between Russia and China [10]. On December 30, 2016, the Government of the Russian Federation approved the concept for the development of the Primorskiy 1 international transport corridors and the concept for the development of Primorskiy 2. During the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Russia in July 2017, China and Russia signed a memorandum of cooperation on the joint development of the Primorskiy 1 and Primorskiy 2 international transport corridors. The joint statement on further deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and China clearly outlines the task of accelerating the construction of the Primorskiy 1 and Primorskiy 2 international transport corridors [15]. Primorskiy 1 and Primorskiy 2 international transport corridors They are a system project, including roads and railways, ports, airports and ports of entry, which will simplify border crossing and customs clearance procedures through the construction of modern communication systems and infrastructure, as well as reduce unnecessary costs and expenses associated with the movement of goods in transit. Due to the construction of modern communication systems and infrastructure, simplification of transit and customs clearance procedures, reduction of unnecessary costs and clearance time for the movement of transit goods, etc., the transport potential of routes in Russia as international transport corridors will be increased, steady growth of Russian transit goods will be achieved and the international competitiveness of Russian land and sea transport will be increased.

Russian Russian Ring Road (Vladivostok Ring Road) construction program is being implemented for Vladivostok's inner-city transport, the highway project provides for the construction of a highway along the Amur Bay and the connection of the highway with the transport network of Russky Island via a drawbridge to Elena Island from Cape Egersheld, transport interchanges on Russky Island: on Universitetskiy Prospekt near Russian Bridge, to the village of Kanal. Currently, the project is planning the implementation of the second stage of the VKAD (from Kazanskaya Street on Egersheld to the low-water bridge).

 

3. Problems of cooperation with Vladivostok

 

3.1 Demographic problems of Vladivostok

The Russian Far East has a long history of population decline, and Primorsky Krai is no exception: between 1992 and 2020, the population declined for 28 consecutive years, while in 2020 the permanent population of the region will decrease by almost 420,000 people compared to 1992, which represents a decrease in the total population by 18%. Vladivostok, the capital, is also suffering from population loss: for 16 years in a row, the permanent population decreased from 1992 to 2009, and from 2010 to 2016, there was a slight increase in the total population, mainly due to the Development Strategy of the Far East and the "Look East" policy. The strategy for the development of the Far East and the policy of "Looking to the East" We have increased the attractiveness of the city as an important "window city". The city's population has fluctuated in recent years: in 2017 and 2018, there was a short-term decline, followed by positive growth trends in 2019 and 2020, however, the overall population of the city in 2020 will be 4,002,000 fewer than in 1992, which represents a decrease in the total population by 7%. Although the population decline in Vladivostok is not very large on the Russian scale, there is a problem of aging demographic structure. According to the Primorsky Department of Statistics, in 2020 the share of pensioners in the Primorsky Territory will amount to 28.5% of the total permanent population, and in Vladivostok - 31.6% of the permanent population of the city. Population decline and population aging are holding back the implementation of national strategies, such as the redevelopment of the Far East, developed by the federal government.

 

3.2 The lagging level of economic development in Vladivostok

Although the Primorsky Territory and Vladivostok occupy a strategically important place in the context of economic development in the Russian Federation, a number of large national projects have been created here: the Free Port of Vladivostok, the Zone of Socio-Economic Super-development, the international transport corridors Primorskiy 1 and Primorskiy 2, etc. "international transport corridors", etc. For the construction of basic facilities: transport, housing, schools, shops, etc. There is still a lack of cooperation and attention to relevant projects. However, with regard to this issue, Russian scientists believe that the lack of a permanent population in Vladivostok and low demand for infrastructure construction will lead to problems such as low return on investment, which will affect the income balance. The construction of transport facilities will also entail a number of problems, such as the question of who will drive in the future. Vladivostok has a small population, and all the needs of the population are met by domestic and international flights, road and rail transport. The opposite point of view is that the only way to attract people back to Vladivostok is to improve infrastructure and reduce the negative impact of the problem of population loss.

 

4. Solving demographic and infrastructural problems

 

For Vladivostok, as well as for the Russian Far East as a whole, the demographic issue is the most serious problem affecting the economic development of the region. Since 2000, Russia's overall demographic dividend has been drying up, especially in the relatively underdeveloped Far East. Without a significant increase in labor productivity, there was a shortage of labor and an increase in the cost of labor, which seriously limits the economic development of the region. A number of appropriate measures should be taken in response to this situation.

    1) Optimize the transport network, strengthen the density of connections between cities and facilitate the movement of people and goods. Improving the transport network will increase employment on both sides and contribute to the complementarity of the industrial advantages of the regions, expanding the space for economic growth.

    2) Strengthen cooperation in the field of infrastructure and various fields. On the one hand, to increase the volume of cooperation in infrastructure projects to attract foreign capital to the region, increase employment and encourage people to return. On the other hand, to increase the attractiveness for small and medium-sized enterprises from other countries. In particular, after the end of the current Newcastle pneumonia epidemic, it is necessary to strengthen cooperation in various fields in order to mitigate the impact of the epidemic on the domestic economy of Russia.

3) Strengthen cooperation in the field of education. Increase the autonomy of universities and the quality of education, try to meet the needs of the local workforce and solve the problem of employment. It is also necessary to strengthen the work on language education in order to eliminate language barriers for cooperation in various fields.

 

 

Conclusion

The main conclusions of the study are that in the overall strategic context of the modern world, China and Russia should gradually strengthen their complementary advantages and local industrial cooperation between the two countries. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that Vladivostok, as the fastest growing city in the Far East, has a great impact on regional cooperation between Russia and China. In terms of bilateral trade, foreign investment and financial participation, China has always been Russia's largest partner in the Far East, so how to make rational use of Vladivostok's advantages and how to solve Vladivostok's current problems (for example, demographic problems and the investment market for enterprises of the two sides) is the way to achieve the common development of both countries.

 

References
1. Andreeva, S. G. (2015). Russia and China: experience and potential of regional and cross-border interaction Vladivostok: Dalnauka. Vostok. Afro-Asian societies: history and modernity, 6, 199-203.
2. Ma, Y. (2019). New aspects of Russian-Chinese investment cooperation in the Russian Far East. Power and Management in the East of Russia, 4(89), 8-16.
3. Manshin, R. V. (2022). Scientific and practical seminar in Vladivostok: "Approaches to solving the problems of demographic development of the Russian Far East". Demographic research, T. 2., 3, 181-184.
4. Popova, T. N. (2019). Free Port of Vladivostok: problems of formation. Economics and Management, 4(92), 35-41.
5. Samoilenko, P. Yu. (2018). Economic, socio-cultural and image problems of Vladivostok agglomeration development within the demographic priorities of the Russian Far East development. Vladivostok: Center for Scientific and Information Technologies "Asterion", 207-210.
6. Fisenko, A. I. (2016). Role of international transport corridors of Primorsky Krai in the development of infrastructure of the free port of Vladivostok. Fundamental Research, 7-2, 402-406.
7. Khusnulina, R. R. (2018). Current state, problems and proposals for the development of trade between border cities of Russia and China (on the example of Transbaikalia, Vladivostok and Blagoveshchensk). Petrozavodsk: Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science Federal Research Center "Karelian Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences", 296-298.
8. Samoylenko, P. Yu. (2023). The main challenges for the image of Vladivostok as a free port and international logistics hub in the context of anti-Russian sanctions. Asia-Pacific Journal of Marine Science & Education, 1, 35-45.
9. Li Chuanxun. (2011). Study on the Demographic Situation and Labor Supply and Demand Problems in the Russian Far East. Russian Journal, 1.
10. Li Xiaoru. (2016). The Development History and Prospects of Economic Cooperation between the Russian Far East and Northeast China. Foreign trade and economic cooperation, 9, 7-11.
11. Liu Shuang., Ma Youjun., & Zhong Jianping. (2017). Examination and analysis of infrastructure construction status in China-Russia border regions. Eurasian Economy, 1.
12. Tian, YX. (2018). Fully utilizing the positive factors of Sino-Russian local cooperation. Siberian Studies, 4, 10-13.
13. Xiao Jingxin. (2020). Research on issues of development and demographic changes in the contemporary Russian Far East. Heilongjiang Academy of Social Sciences.
14. Tacc. (2015). Retrieved from https:// tass.ru/ekonomika/2075886
15. Xin Hua news. (2017). Joint statement of the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation on further deepening the partnership of comprehensive strategic collaboration.

First Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

The review has a minimum volume of 350 words. The subject of the peer–reviewed study is the problems and prospects for the development of interregional cooperation with the Chinese provinces of the Russian city of Vladivostok. Given the increasing political influence and economic potential of China in recent decades, it is difficult to overstate the relevance of exploring opportunities for cooperation with it. However, unfortunately, the author did not bother to reflect on the methodology of his own research in the slightest way, which cannot but reduce the scientific level of the reviewed article, as well as not affect the novelty of the results obtained. There is certainly a scientific novelty in the article. However, it is not expressed at all, since the author preferred the encyclopedic-descriptive scientific analytical style, with the exception of those plots where the problems of Vladivostok's development are discussed. But the methods by which these problems were investigated are not articulated in any way. From the context, it can be understood that historical and institutional methods were used, as well as some elements of the analysis of secondary sociological data. Structurally, the work makes quite a positive impression, although somewhat overshadowed by the not entirely correct wording of some paragraphs. Nevertheless, the structure as a whole is quite logical and represents the main aspects of the conducted research. The following sections are highlighted in the text: "1. The basic status of the Far East", divided into two paragraphs "1.1. The current context in the Far East" and "1.2. The current state of development of Vladivostok". We should immediately note the incompatibility of both paragraphs: the first of them deals with the region as a whole, and the second with its capital. In addition, the term "context" always implies clarification of which context (the context of what) is being discussed; without such clarification, the term "hangs in the air" and loses its meaning. The second section "Vladivostok in relations between Russia and China" stylistically also looks not very scientific, causing inappropriate questions: Does China claim Vladivostok? or has Vladivostok become a stumbling block in the relations between the two countries? When reading the section, you realize that we are talking about the fact that Vladivostok acts as a convenient platform for cooperation between China and Russia (this is the title of the only, but for some reason numbered paragraph in this section). Why not name the section "Vladivostok as a platform for cooperation between Russia and China", if this is what is discussed in the section? And not highlight any paragraphs? The third section is named even more strangely: "Problems of cooperation with Vladivostok." THE cooperation of WHOM? In general, any country in the world? Or is it about China? The paragraphs highlighted in this section further obscure the essence of the case: the first is called "Demographic problems of Vladivostok and lack of infrastructure", and the second is "Inadequate infrastructure in Vladivostok". Let's leave out the term "inadequate" for now – we'll come back to it later. But here there is a banal semantic repetition, and it concerns only the title – in this very paragraph we are talking only about demographic problems, and infrastructural ones are included in the next paragraph. Finally, the fourth section is also oddly named "Solving related problems" – related to what? Cooperation between China and Russia? But this section is not about that. It talks about possible solutions to the problems discussed above – the problems of demography and infrastructure. Then what are these problems "accompanying"? The author again used a completely empty, meaningless word. In the future, the author can be recommended to think more carefully about the structure of the text of the article, especially the headings and headings. In addition, it is customary in scientific works to highlight the introduction, where a scientific problem should be posed, its relevance justified, the theoretical and methodological choice of the author should be argued, etc., as well as the conclusion, where the results obtained should be summarized with an emphasis on their scientific novelty. Unfortunately, none of this is in the text. There are a number of stylistic elements in the text (for example, the somewhat strange beginning for a scientific article "As for the external environment, then ...", which leaves the feeling that the text is a fragment torn from another text; or ambiguous formulations, for example: "Russia's diplomatic reaction has acquired a more "breakthrough" form in the context of Western diplomatic isolation..." – who was standing on whom? Was the West "diplomatically isolated" by Russia or was Russia "diplomatically isolated"? and others) and grammatical (for example, the absence of a comma separating the enumeration: "... Changes in geostrategic and geopolitical and economic models..."; or the abundance of genitive cases, completely depriving it of meaning in the expression "According to preliminary estimates of Russian experts of the economic benefits of the free port..."; etc.), however, in general it is written more or less competently, in acceptable Russian, with correct (with some exceptions, which are discussed below) use of scientific terminology. Although some terms are not correctly conveyed, for example, in the term "policy of looking (or turning) to the East," the word "East" is capitalized, since the region is meant, not the side of the world. The expression "to dominate the new order" is not entirely clear, especially considering that it is used in the context of a "comprehensive and friendly strategic partnership with China" – here the author needs to decide whether Russia will "dominate" or be friends and cooperate; these forms of interaction are mutually exclusive. The term "inadequate infrastructure" in relation to the Far East also raises questions – inadequate to what? – the level of development? – this is how the author talks about the "lagging economic development" of the region; in this case, the poor state of infrastructure is just quite adequate to the economic state of the region. Such terminological misunderstandings cannot but reduce the overall impression of the quality of the work, therefore, in the future, the author can be recommended to work more carefully on the terminology. There are also some factual errors (for example, the events of the end of February 2022 are called "the beginning of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine"; but Russia's official position is to call the events taking place on the territory of Ukraine a special military operation, not a conflict; if we are still talking about a conflict, then its beginning should be to build to a much earlier period – no later than 2014, if not 2005). The bibliography includes 15 titles, including sources in several foreign languages, and sufficiently represents the state of research on the subject of the article. Although it could be significantly strengthened by including works on the theoretical and methodological basis of the study. There is no appeal to opponents due to the lack of theoretical reflection. The advantages of the article include an extensive empirical base used for analysis. But by what methods this database was processed, the reader has to guess on his own. GENERAL CONCLUSION: the article proposed for review can be qualified as a scientific work that meets the basic requirements for works of this kind. The author chose an absolutely relevant and interesting topic, collected extensive empirical material, but overlooked the need for theoretical and methodological reflection. Therefore, the article needs to be finalized. In general, the results obtained by the author correspond to the subject of the journal "International Relations" and will be of interest to political scientists, political sociologists, urbanists and regional scientists, specialists in the field of world politics and international relations, as well as for students of these specialties. The main points to pay attention to when finalizing the article: - to think over and correct the section headings in the text of the article; - to highlight the section "Introduction", where to describe the scientific problem, substantiate its relevance, goals and objectives of the study, as well as the theoretical and methodological basis on which this research was conducted;
- carefully proofread the entire text in order to eliminate stylistic, grammatical and terminological errors; - highlight the section "Conclusion", where to summarize the results obtained, with an emphasis on their scientific novelty. After appropriate revision, the article can be recommended for publication.

Second Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

The materials submitted for review are devoted to the study of the problems and prospects of Vladivostok's participation in interregional cooperation. The authors rightly attribute the relevance of the study to the fact that in order to promote the accelerated development of the Far East, Russia is actively creating cities with advanced socio-economic development and hopes to improve business conditions in the Far East through a number of measures such as improving infrastructure, providing tax incentives and simplifying administrative procedures. The research methodology is based on the study of modern sources of information on the problem under consideration, the application of general scientific research methods. The scientific novelty of the presented study, according to the reviewer, lies in the results of the analysis of approaches and prospects of Russian-Chinese cooperation in Vladivostok, the conclusions that Vladivostok, as the fastest growing city in the Far East, has a great influence on regional cooperation between Russia and China in the trade, investment and financial spheres. The article is properly structured, it highlights the following sections: Introduction, the Basic status of the Far East (with two paragraphs; The current state of development of the Far East and the Current state of development of Vladivostok), Vladivostok as a platform for cooperation between Russia and China, Problems of cooperation with Vladivostok (three paragraphs are highlighted here: Demographic problems of Vladivostok, Lagging level of economic development in Vladivostok, Solving demographic and infrastructural problems), Conclusion, as well as a Bibliography. The introduction substantiates the relevance, reflects the object and formulates the purpose of the study. Further, the gradual shift of the center of the world economy towards the Asia-Pacific region in the last decade, the reduction in the total population of the Far East, Russia's desire to create cities of advanced socio-economic development, open its doors and use opportunities to increase the economic competitiveness of this region of our country were noted. The article shows the importance of Vladivostok as one of the largest natural ice-free ports in the eastern part of the country, with the highest throughput in the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia. Among the significant events in the field of Russian-Chinese cooperation are: the holding of the APEC summit, the annual Eastern Economic Forum, the adoption in 2015 of the law on the creation of the Free Port of Vladivostok - the Law on the Free Port of Vladivostok, the development of the Russian-Chinese international transport corridor Primorskiy 1 and Primorskiy 2. The publication highlights the main problems of Vladivostok's economic development and identifies ways to solve demographic and infrastructural problems. The bibliographic list includes 15 sources – publications on the research topic in Russian and Chinese. In general, the content and style of presentation of the material corresponds to the practice of publications that has developed in the design of the results of scientific research. Among the reserves for improving the presentation of research results, it should be noted that for some reason the authors do not use graphical means of presenting research results in the form of drawings and visual diagrams reflecting the problems of Vladivostok and the prospects for its development. The relevance of the topic of the article, its correspondence to the topic of the journal "International Relations", the presence of elements of increment of scientific knowledge, the use of research methods that ensure reliable results, confirm the possibility of publishing a peer-reviewed article.