So I'm thinking of starting with Russia (BTW I know the game mechanics etc quite well though I'm a bit rusty

Now, my usual strategy as Russia is to prepare for the Crimea War, then colonise the central Asian states (including Afghanistan) and finally hammer China, taking as much territory as I can (especially the larger islands). However, I remember distinctly 2 issues which kind of surprised me with Russia a) at some point, parts of Siberia started changing into Russian territory due to the use of the citizen card and b) the severe lack in numbers, of colonial cards which could limit expansion in China. Is this still the case? Also regarding a) it was not the whole province that did so and especially capitals remained stubbornly 'colonial territory'. Is there a way to remedy this?
Any tips/strategies on Russia are welcome!