Упрощенная HTML-версия
Author : A. Lukin
Director of the Center for East Asia and SCO Studies, Institute of International Studies, Moscow State
Institute (University) of International Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation;
Doctor of Sciences (History)
OCTOBER 2009 marked the 60th anniversary of the foundation of
the PRC and establishment of relations between communist China
and the Soviet Union.
At present, Russian-Chinese relations are at a high level of develop-
ment, possibly the best they have ever been throughout their history,
which spans not just sixty years, but four centuries. At the same time,
during the past three or four years, their development has become
somewhat stagnated: there have been no obvious breakthroughs in
political relations and the world crisis has dealt a severe blow to their
economies. In these circumstances, it is worth taking a look at the
most problematic areas in bilateral relations, the reasons for the prob-
lems, and ways to resolve them.
Anyone who wants to see a more independent and powerful Russia should support the devel-
opment of its relations with China.
China also needs Russia as a geopolitical and economic partner, although we must admit that in
its current state Russia is playing a much lesser role in China's policy than China is playing in
Russia's.
Adoption of the Cooperation Program for 2009-2018 between the regions of Russia's Far East
and Eastern Siberia and China's Northeast, which envisages large mutual investments in several
projects in both countries, caused a kind of an uproar in the Russian mass media. There was
talk that such investments would turn Russia into China's raw material appendage.
It goes without saying that a certain number of the facilities in the Russian Far East and Siberia
are mineral deposits. However, the danger is not at all in the fact that these deposits will be de-
veloped using Chinese investments, but in the fact that the revenue obtained might be squandered
again and not used to create an innovative economy in Russia, the need for which is being fre-
quently discussed today. But this will in no way be China's fault.
As of today, the two countries have settled all their border demarcation issues. So this historical
question is politically moot.
The dialogue with China on the North Korean nuclear program and the problems of the Korean
Peninsula are a very important vector of cooperation in international issues. In economic rela-
tions, a series of measures should be carried out to replace raw material deliveries with Chinese
investments and transfer processing and other production units to Russian territory. This is al-
ready being done in the lumber industry, but so far is not yielding the desirable results. It might
also be beneficial to promote broader economic cooperation within the SCO.
http://interaffairs.ru
Russian-Chinese Relations: Keeping up the Pace