European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 01, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday. May 1. 19s9 a chinese worker and Smiet labourer join in to in construction material at the building Sile 1 a hotel. One Hundred chinese Erk at three Sites in Blai Jou Shch Kiisk. A no Sov of Frade ripens offer Melon truce Laoo Tsiu , . A ii began with 200 tons of watermelons the chinese feared would rot. They ran a while Flag up a watchtower an invited soviet soldiers on the other Bank of the Blue Gray amur River to a meeting. The Kab Border guards went then reported Back to officials in this siberian City near the sino soviet Bor Der that the chinese wanted to Deal. After some discussion Blagovest Chenik authorities dispatched a Barge to pick up the melons giving the chinese a Load of fertilizer in Exchange. That modest Baner arrangement in 1987 began Trade Between the soviet Union s amur Region and the neighbouring chinese province of Hei Yungkiang that grew to the equivalent of ssi million last j car. Russians in Blagovest Chenik once a Boom town of the 19th-Century Gold Rush worried at first about the chinese coming. Now they want them to. In the 1960s, when ideological and Border dispute poisoned soviet chinese relations huge portraits of Mao tsp Tung sprouted on the Shore in Heine a City half a mile away across the amur. Chinese tanks and military vehicles mane Vered on the ice bound River and Mao s Frontier troops even bared their buttocks to mock soviet soldiers recalled Cape. Alexander m. I Rush. Commander of the 50 Border guards in Blagovest Chenik. We were frightened and ready to  said Lima Alex Andreyeva 62, then a nurse in this City of 210.000. We were prepared for anything. The chinese could have  now government and business leaders in Blago Vesh Chenik Are courting workers investors and Poten tial trading partners on the other Side of the amur Inan Effort to end the chronic shortage of goods and Spur the local Economy Vladimir vec Hinkin said in our Region there s Novas to avoid external economic relations we Border on our great neighbor the people s Republic of  is first Deputy chairman of government in the amur Region an area the Sie of Montana where slightly More than 1 million people live As the May 15 Summit approaches soviet official Point to Blagovest Chenik As a showcase for the advantages of better a in tons. It is an up incl  Trade totalled $146 million last year Accord ing to the soviet foreign Trade ministry. That Means Trade in this area accounted for More than half the Trafim Mubarak Shina. A teacher at Middle school no. 14 in Bla to Esh Chenik Kies lessons in chinese. Commerce along the 5.000-mile  wrought by it Are graphic in Blagovest Chenik where the chinese have arrived and More arc on the  the fifth door of what someday will be the tourist hotel chinese workers slather mortar onto  s part of a $12 million contract for painting tiling and other labor on three building Sites awarded Las year to a Heinc construction firm. When the tourist hotel opens Blagoveschen skill have its first chinese restaurant. So need to increase construction threefold by the year 2000 and build 64 new enterprises but we have a shortage of building Trade specialists said analogy  atm chief of the regional construction Organ a lion amur Troi the chinese have the specialists and a Talent for manual  also come cheap each of the 100 chinese working in Blagovest Chenik earns the equivalent ol$4.50 a Day about one fourth of the average soviet Industrial wage. They also get free housing in Namur strop dormitory and arc fed by a chinese chef at soviet  at Middle school no. 14 Are filled with the voices of russian children singing songs or reciting verses in  is a modest demonstration of interest in chinese culture when compared with instruction in other for eign languages English is taught in Many Blagovest Chenik schools. But principal alb a n. Simnich  pets to hire two More chinese teachers this  parents of my pupils Tell their kids study hard and maybe in the future you la become a specialist i chinese and help develop relations Between our coun tries said Alexander Trushin a language teacher at school no. 14.the school also provides lessons on troubled soviet chinese relations. A hallway poster exhorts soviet youngsters to vigilance proclaiming remember the Border is   Consumers in Blagovest Chenik better relations have meant the availability of cigarette lighters vide and Audi Casselles umbrellas thermos bottles and other chinese made goods. Supplies Are erratic How Ever and prices can be High. Trushin 22, paid $250, nearly a month s salary to buy a Denim jacket from a chinese worker