Russian ethnic minority representation in supreme legislature of China

This paper introduces unique political situation in China where ethnic Russians have been recognized as an official minority and thus, according to the Constitution of China, have their own representative in the highest legislature body of the country, the National People’s Congress. It then outlines the history of China’s Russians and details their total numbers and the traditional areas of residence before going deeper into the history of their participation in the work of the highest organ of state power in China. The names of the Russian delegates to the National People’s Congress are supplemented by the details of those members of the Russian ethnic minority community, who represent it in the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, another supreme consultative organ of China. By elaborating on this, the paper aims to draw attention of the policymakers in Russia to this historic involvement of ethnic Russians living in China in the political system of their country of residence as at the same time it laments that their story is almost unknown in Russia. It suggests that the contacts between Russian politics with the Russian representatives in the National People’s Congress should be established and maintained, for it would benefit both Russians living in China and Russa itself. Those people who managed to preserve their identity and develop their culture in a foreign environment can contribute significantly to the better communication between both countries now.