Manzhouli is thriving as China sucks in Russian raw materials and exports its consumer goods, but mutual distrust persists At the base of the giant matryoshka, five storeys high, restaurant is spelt out in Cyrillic script: PECTOPAH. But the face on the Russian doll is evidently Asian and the welcome to diners scrolls across a screen in Chinese characters.Perched on the 2,700-mile border with Russia, the Chinese city of Manzhouli has acquired the flavour of its northern neighbour. Gilded domes gleam and buildings are adorned with white icing flourishes. Shoppers pay for fur coats in roubles and dine on borscht …read more
Source: The Guardian
