Chinese Tourists Exploited in Russia: Police Caught Fleece Them Openly

Two Russian police officers were caught on video brazenly 'butchering the fat sheep' in broad daylight, openly demanding cash from Chinese tourists. 

[People News] China has extended its visa-free policy for Russian citizens until the end of 2027 (excluding the visa-on-arrival policy). Individuals holding a regular Russian passport can enter China for business, tourism, visiting relatives, exchanges, or transit without a visa, provided their stay does not exceed 30 days. 

In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a presidential decree on July 20, 2026, granting Chinese citizens a 30-day visa-free entry privilege. 

Following the announcement of the extended visa-free policy, Russia has seen a significant influx of Chinese tourists. Statistics released by Zhang Hanhui, the Chinese ambassador to Russia, indicate that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Russia reached 154,200 in the first quarter of 2026, marking a remarkable 44% increase compared to the previous year. 

As more Chinese tourists arrive, discussions online about 'Chinese tourists being treated as fat sheep in Russia' have been on the rise. From Moscow's Red Square to the Summer Palace in St. Petersburg, a 'gray industrial chain' targeting Chinese tourists has quietly emerged. 

Old Tricks: From Tour Groups to Shopping Stores 

Many Chinese tourists often find their nightmare begins with choosing a 'low-cost tour group.' These tour groups typically lure tourists with extremely attractive prices, but once they arrive in Russia, tour guides covertly pressure them to participate in optional paid activities or to shop at designated stores.

Reports from Chinese media in Russia and returning tourists indicate that certain shopping stores catering specifically to Chinese tour groups do not serve local Russians or tourists from Europe and America. The prices of Russian 'specialties' such as amber, beeswax, and purple gold sold in these stores are often several times higher than those in local chain stores. Additionally, some of these shops sell counterfeit and substandard products. Shopkeepers may charge different prices based on the nationality of the tourists; if they are identified as Chinese, the prices automatically increase.

Being 'fleeced' by one's own compatriots is particularly painful.

The St. Petersburg Tour Guide Association has repeatedly reported the presence of numerous Chinese tour guides (commonly referred to as 'shadow guides') operating without legal Russian tour guide licenses. These guides often form partnerships with shopping stores and restaurants, 'fleecing' customers to compensate for the losses incurred from low-priced tour fees and to earn substantial commissions.

Investigations by some Russian media have revealed that the owners of shopping stores and restaurants that specifically cater to Chinese customers and charge inflated prices are predominantly Chinese. They expertly 'fleece' their fellow countrymen. This practice is known within the local Chinese community as 'killing familiar sheep' or 'eating the grass by the nest'.

What frightens Chinese tourists the most is the 'Russian police targeting Chinese individuals for inspections, finding faults, and extorting bribes', which is the most common and historically persistent form of 'fleecing' experienced by Chinese travelers.

Common tactics and excuses used by Russian police to 'fleece fat sheep' are well-known.

Russian grassroots police (especially in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and border cities in the Far East) have long viewed Asian faces (particularly those of Chinese tourists, students, and businessmen) as 'moving ATMs'.

Under Russian law, foreigners who stay in the same city for more than a specified number of days are required to obtain a landing visa (Migration Registration). Police frequently target Chinese individuals at subway stations, popular tourist attractions, or market entrances, threatening arrest under the pretext of "issues with residence registration," "invalid visa," or "invalid passport photocopy."  

As reported by NetEase, when police stop someone, they immediately confiscate their passport. Instead of issuing an official fine, they either display a calculator on their phone or verbally demand a payment (which can range from several thousand to tens of thousands of rubles, or even directly request dollars). If the individual refuses to pay, they threaten to detain them in a police holding cell (commonly known as a "little black room") or to handcuff them.  

In recent years, particularly following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, Russian police have increasingly cited reasons such as "anti-terrorism," "security checks," or "verification of political stance" to forcibly inspect the mobile phone contents, photo albums, or luggage of Chinese tourists. If they find any minor "violation" or excuse, they use it to demand a hefty "settlement fee."  

Many Chinese tourists who have been extorted report that the fines are not actually paid at the police station but are instead demanded to be paid directly in cash, or even transferred via a QR code to the personal accounts of the police or designated intermediaries.  

Why do Russian police specifically target Chinese individuals?  

Most Chinese tourists are not fluent in Russian, making them feel intimidated when confronted by uniformed, armed Russian police. Furthermore, tourists often have tight schedules, are eager to return home, or find it difficult to seek legal recourse, leading many to opt to pay directly to "settle the matter," which inadvertently encourages the threatening behavior of the Russian police.

Chinese public opinion frequently promotes the idea of 'Sino-Russian friendship' and 'back-to-back' relations, which has led many Chinese tourists to let down their guard and mistakenly believe they will receive special treatment in Russia. However, to the grassroots police in Russia, Chinese individuals are seen as 'perfect targets, with pockets full of cash and too intimidated to resist.' Additionally, the Chinese consulate in Russia is not very effective and fails to provide adequate protection. As a result, the phenomenon of 'Russian police extorting Chinese tourists' has become the most emblematic and reviled 'sheep trap' within the Chinese community traveling to Russia.

This starkly highlights the ironic and significant disparity between the 'grand narrative' officially promoted by Moscow and Beijing and the 'extremely cold and calculating interests' observed in the grassroots reality.

Why do the authorities "turn a blind eye"?

The "unlimited partnership" or "brotherly friendship" proclaimed by Putin and Xi Jinping essentially represents a "strategic alliance" among high-ranking officials in response to Western sanctions and diplomatic isolation, reflecting the needs of high-level diplomatic politics.

However, within Russia's bureaucratic system and grassroots society, being "pro-China" has never been a collective consensus at the grassroots level. Historically, from the imperial era through the Soviet period to the present day, Russia has consistently maintained a deep-seated national defensive mentality and geopolitical concerns regarding China, particularly fears about China's population and economic expansion in the Far East.

The "brotherly sentiments" expressed by the leadership do not translate into better salaries for grassroots police, nor do they improve the corrupt bureaucratic environment within the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. For grassroots police, the diplomatic landscape is far less significant than the rubles in their own pockets.

The Russian authorities generally adopt a tacit approach of "ignoring it as long as it doesn't escalate" towards the extortion of Chinese citizens by local law enforcement. This is primarily due to the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) official stance of "cooperation and forbearance". To maintain the "strategic cooperation between major powers" with Russia and the broader geopolitical objective of countering the U.S., the CCP has long taken a perspective of "downplaying significant issues and dismissing minor ones" regarding incidents where Russian grassroots infringe upon the rights of Chinese citizens. As long as these incidents do not escalate into large-scale casualties or major diplomatic scandals, the Chinese consulate in Russia typically only issues routine "protests" or "safety reminders" without elevating the matter to a political level that could impact bilateral relations.

Russia's "de-communization" is not thorough.

The harsh treatment of Chinese tourists by Russian police is closely linked to Russia's adherence to the Communist Party's national policies.

The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the fall of the Communist Party appeared to signal the failure of communism in Russia. However, unlike Eastern European countries such as Poland, the Czech Republic, or Lithuania, Russia did not experience a comprehensive process of 'de-communization' or the implementation of 'lustration laws.'

Despite the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the core elite who wielded real power in the country—particularly the influential groups (Siloviki) from the KGB (克格勃), the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the military—were not held accountable. Instead, they transitioned into the leaders of the new regime, with Putin being a prime example. This 'changing the soup but not the medicine' approach has allowed the authoritarian mindset, the manipulation of legal frameworks, and the disregard for human rights from the Soviet era to persist.

The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) remains a significant party in the parliament, indicating that a substantial segment of Russian society still feels nostalgic for the 'strong Soviet era.' This inability to fully confront the ideological roots of the past has entrenched the belief that 'might is right' and that 'the state can arbitrarily seize individual property' within Russian society.

The modern continuation of predatory thinking

A core principle of communist ideology is to incite class hatred and carry out plunder in the name of 'justice.' In simpler terms, it embodies a 'hatred of the rich.' If the police take an interest in you, your money can be seized and appropriated as theirs, which epitomizes the true nature of 'communism.'

From 'Class Struggle' to 'Power Plunder'

Under communist ideology, property rights have never been granted a sacred and inviolable legal status. When this ideology seeps into the country's law enforcement system—such as the police, customs, and tax authorities—it transforms into a form of 'bureaucratic legitimate plunder'.

To grassroots police in Russia, Chinese businessmen, international students, and tourists embody the ideal characteristics of 'plunder targets': they are wealthy (local tyrants), socially marginalized (lacking political protection), unable to resist (timid and fearful), and have no consulate to advocate for them. The Russian police's extortion of Chinese individuals essentially reflects a modern variant of the plundering mentality reminiscent of 'seizing the local tyrants and distributing the land'—'You have money, I have guns and power, therefore your money is mine.'

This leads to a harsh conclusion drawn by many deep thinkers: the true reason why Chinese individuals abroad become 'fat sheep' with no recourse is the structural dilemma created by the Communist Party system itself.

Chinese Reduced to the Chinese Communist Party's 'Diplomatic Pawns'

In normal democratic nations, one of the core diplomatic objectives of the government is to safeguard the lives and property of its citizens abroad (as seen in countries like the US, Japan, and Europe). However, within the ruling logic of the Communist Party, 'regime security and the overarching diplomatic strategy of the party' always take precedence over 'the personal interests of ordinary citizens'. To align with Moscow against the West, Beijing may tacitly permit various injustices and grassroots plunder against Chinese citizens, effectively reducing overseas Chinese to 'diplomatic pawns' in the broader political landscape.

Russian police are treating Chinese visitors to Russia as 'easy targets' for exploitation. While this appears to be a case of foreign bureaucratic corruption and extortion, the underlying issue is a clear reflection of a totalitarian ideology that neglects individual rights, undermines property security, and promotes the plundering of power.

As long as the toxic remnants of this communist system, which places 'power above the rule of law and political considerations above citizen dignity,' remain unaddressed, no matter how much wealth Chinese individuals accumulate abroad, they will struggle to attain a genuine sense of safety that is dignified and secure.

(Originally published in People News)
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