A special Chinese delegation is expected to arrive in Moscow Wednesday for negotiations in the case of 150 Chinese businessmen apprehended in a crackdown at a market in the city.
The detention followed the closure of Cherkizovsky Market, a place of business for about 80,000 Chinese, which was ordered by the city government over smuggling concerns on June 29.
Protecting the legal interests and welfare of the affected Chinese businesspeople and regulating Sino-Russian trade and customs should top the agenda of the negotiations.
The sudden shutdown of the market has left tens of thousands of Chinese traders jobless and in financial difficulty with their money and goods still sealed in the market.
We call for the fair and friendly treatment of Chinese people. The Russian authorities must consider the reasonable and legal demands of the affected Chinese businesspeople.
We believe the enduring friendship between China and Russia should lay a solid foundation for a humanitarian and timely settlement for the troubled Chinese in Russia.
Also, the authorities in Russia should consider the circumstances of the so-called smuggling. The "gray customs clearance" system behind the crackdown has been a problem in Russia for quite a long time. It is unfair to saddle Chinese businessmen with all the responsibility for this system.
A reasonable settlement of the Chinese goods and money seized in the market should be made. Many of the affected Chinese traders have requested that the Russian Federation Procurator order the seized goods returned to Chinese businessmen who would like to pay the customs fees they evaded.
It was reported that the procurator had taken their request into account and stated that the businessmen would not face criminal prosecution. This is really an encouraging sign.
Unfortunately, Komsomolskaya Pravda, a prestigious newspaper in Russia, reported recently that some of the money in the closed market had been pocketed by local police.
Before any legal solution is given, the seized money and goods deserve supervision. Any law enforcement officers who broke the law should be punished.
Russia can stop the so-called "smuggling" by eliminating its "gray customs clearance," which is a product of its flawed trade system. Russia must reform its customs procedures to make them more efficient, economic and conducive to the development of trade with China.
At the same time, it needs to do much more to harshly punish corrupted customs officials and irregular or illegal "clearance" companies.
China should work with Russia to improve the current customs cooperation mechanism and further regulate bilateral trade between the two countries. As Russia has clear laws and regulations and strict enforcement, China could further educate its people and companies to strictly abide by them when doing business there.
We hope the talks between the two sides in Moscow will be constructive and have a far-reaching impact on the healthy development of Sino-Russian bilateral trade.
Source:Global Times
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