Vadim Sonin

The article is devoted to the analysis of legal forms and informal land-use practices existing among Chinese farmers on the Russian Far East. The main intention of the authors is to explore the reasons for the existence of sustainable practices circumvent legal restrictions of land rights of foreign citizens and legal entities, as well as determine the " limits of limitations " of land rights of foreigners (including property and land lease rights). Problem field of the research includes definition of trends of legal regulation in this sphere, classification of informal land-use practices by Chinese farmers, as well as a comparative description of the trends in legal regulation of land relations with foreign element in the Commonwealth of Independent States and Asia-Pacific countries. Methodology includes sociological methods (interview, participant observation) by which authors has obtained and classified information on informal land-use practices existing among Chinese farmers. Specially-legal methods (including comparative legal analysis and method of normative interpretation) were used to determine the regulatory trends in neighboring countries as well as to find out the limits of restrictions which may be imposed on foreigners land rights without contradiction with federal Constitution. Restrictive initiatives promoted recently by Ministry of agriculture not only make a visible contrast with the liberalization of land use in the neighboring countries of the Asia-Pacific region, but also are not adequate in light of the government's intentions to attract foreign investment into the economy of the Far East region. The fact that some subjective rights belongs to foreign citizens and legal persons in itself does not allow the government to restrict them more than such rights of Russian citizens. Moreover, further limitation invades in the very essence of the content (core) of the right for land. A further limitation of land-use rights of foreigners not only would repel investment, but will also encourage the development of informal land-use practices, which, in turn, are the breeding ground for corruption in local government, as well as in the controlling and supervisory authorities.

Статья посвящена анализу правовых ограничений и неформальных практик землепользования, существующих среди китайских фермеров на Дальнем Востоке России. Ограничительные инициативы последнего времени не только составляют контраст с либерализацией режима землепользования в соседних государствах АТР, но и не очевидны в свете правительственных намерений по привлечению иностранных инвестиций в экономику Дальнего Востока. Принадлежность субъективных прав иностранцам сама по себе не дает возможности большего их ограничения в сравнении с правами российских граждан. Дальнейшие их ограничения вторгаются в само существо содержания (ядро) права на землю. Ограничение прав землепользования иностранцев не только оттолкнет инвестиции, но и будет стимулировать развитие неформальных практик землепользования, которые являются питательной средой для коррупции в органах государственной власти и местного самоуправления.

This article on the basis of the Russian and Chinese legislation, judicial practice and special literature discusses the possibility of applying the provisions of the Federal Law "On Insolvency (Bankruptcy)" of 26 October 2002 to the Chinese nationals registered as individual entrepreneurs in Russia. The article also reviews the Chinese legal regulation and offers recommendations on the enforcement of court judgements on bankruptcy and collection of debts from the PRC nationals.