STAVROPOL, October 26. /TASS/. Experts predict a possible growth in the migration flow from China into Russia, by 2050 the Chinese may become the second largest population group in Russia, Scientific Director of the Center for Migration Research of the Institute of National Economic Prediction of Russia’s Academy of Science Zhanna Zayonchkovskaya said.

"The number of unemployed people in China is more than the entire Russian population," she noted at an international conference at the North Caucasus Federal University in the Russian city of Stavropol, dubbed as "Migration processes." "If we maintain solid relations with China then I think by 2050 the Chinese may become the second largest population group in Russia and surpass the Central Asian populace as far as migration goes," the expert said.

Zayonchkovskaya said the reason for this process was that after 2030 the migrant inflow from Central Asian countries would decline as a large part of young people had already left these countries to work or study in the neighboring states.

Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are the main countries whose citizens come to Russia, Ukrainians migrate in large numbers, too. "If we think of other countries from where migrant labor can be obtained, I can think of none other than China," Zayonchkovskaya noted, emphasizing that "Russia will need foreign workers to ensure its economic development."

According to the expert, the changes in the pension legislation would not balance the situation given the decrease in the working-age population. "Raising the retirement age will neither level out the demographic waves, nor will it solve the labor shortage problem, as it only solves the problem of the Pension Fund, though the demographic situation still remains problematic," Zayonchkovskaya added noting that according to the Federal Migration Service, the international migration flow into Russia in 2015 had amounted in 9.8 mln people.