Moscow-Beijing Express
By Jeff J. Brown
Cross-linked with China Rising: http://chinarising.puntopress.com/2016/07/29/something-symbolic-but-very-important-is-happening-in-the-china-russia-partnership-moscow-beijing-express-on-the-saker/
Starting today, this map takes on a whole new geopolitical meaning. (Image by baidu.com)
Up till now, both Russian and China have eschewed the concept of an “alliance”. Why? Because of all the historical Western empire baggage that goes with it, including sometimes secret, frequently broken treaties, treachery, double dealing, back stabbing and all the other perfidy that goes with it. Not to mention, potentially unenforceable or unwise commitments to militarily attack an enemy of an ally, regardless of how stupid or absurd it is. Just recall the insanity of World War I, to put things in perspective.
The Chinese and Russians have preferred to talk about their “special relationship”, “friendship”, “historical ties” and “strategic partnership”. Until today, that is. People’s Daily, the flagship newspaper of the government of China splashed this headline:
China, Russia ‘semi-alliance’ to launch drills in S. China Sea
http://en.people.cn/n3/2016/0729/c90000-9092514.html
“Semi”, but nonetheless, an alliance. Out of curiosity, I searched “China-Russia alliance” in Chinese on the People’s Daily website and was surprised to see that it has been used sparingly, starting in November, 2015. “Semi” was not used, but “new” was, as in “new Sino-Russian alliance”. This in spite of the fact that Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, as well as their Foreign Ministries, have both publicly stated that their countries’ relationship is not an alliance, but something else.
But clearly, the semantic Rubicon has been crossed. Geopolitically and diplomatically, this is huge, “semi” or not.
I always say to my students that “words are powerful things”. This week’s headlines confirm that in spades. Please officially welcome the Sino-Russian alliance onto the world stage. WOW!
Check out Jeff’s newest book release:
China Rising, the e-book, available around the world, in all formats: https://ganxy.com/i/113798/jeff-j-brown/china-rising-capitalist-roads-socialist-destinations
China Rising, the e-book, available on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/China-Rising-Capitalist-Socialist-Destinations-ebook/dp/B01HHLHXBI/
The greatest function of China for Russia is to use China to scare people in the west that Russia will leave them, to “pivot to asia”, but this is nonsense, just a trick, Russia knows she belongs in her European family, and Putin beliefs not in any “pivot to asia” but in the dream of a greater Europe, a union from Berlin to Vladivostok.
Even practically “pivoting to asia” in the sense that Russia centre of gravity is in Europe, a “pivot” is actually the most Russia can do, as all/most of her industries are in European part of Russia together with her population and all which is geared towards western markets, even transporting oil and gas from the caucasus region would be too expensive to be profitable if it was to be sold to China and thusly moved over all of Russia.
One would think that China a powerhouse and Russia a country with huge amount of natural resouces in need of investment would be a good match, but the fact is thatChina is an alien country, different people, different culture, different language different religion, and while China and Russia share a long border, it s just the unpopulated rump part of Russia that shares border with China.. Had it not been for USA harassing Russia and China and thus pushing them to work togheter more then their geopolitical situation merits Russia and China would likely have very little to do with eachother.
So you admit…they are in fact together? (Your last sentence)
Depends on what you mean by “together” Russia and China certainly are together more than their geopolitical situation merits, basically had it not been for NATO, China and Russia would be a pretty low priority for each other.
They are as pretty much as alien culturally, demographically, religiously, linguistically as can be. And The area were their borders cross are underdeveloped part of both countries, most Russia population and and industries and infrastructure is focused on European Russia, in the western part of Russia that is, and most of Chinas population and industry is focused along the coast line.
Using this logic, “They are as pretty much as alien culturally, demographically, religiously, linguistically as can be”, the US and Japan cannot be “together”.
You comparing apples to oranges here Fed, one is a supposed relationship among equals (Russia/China) whereas the other is one country that subjected another and is now exercising control over it. The US – Japan relationship is not one out of choice but sheer force.
South Korea?
How much can earn as a troll?
Maybe it is just a whining AngloZionist or Atlanticist. The world’s ‘centre of gravity’ is actually China (and Asia). The Russian Federation is both Asian and European. Kazakhstan – former Russian Empire/USSR – a big country bordering China, is entirely Asian (almost a quarter of Kazakhs are Russian). Russia’s Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu comes from the geographical center of Asia.
Atlanticist does not want a “Greater Europe” that is their worst scenario, they want a splintered Europe at war with Russia, if Russia and the west, specifically Germany were to unite it would form the most powerful block on the planet, both economically and militarly that would not need USA in any sense, preventing Germany and Russia from uniting in a union is one of the top goals of USA.
Personally I am a traditionalists, and all traditionalist wants like Putin,to create a Greater Europe, with all of Europe working togheter. And USA being kicked out of course. As well as EU destroyed and NATO abolished.
” world’s ‘centre of gravity’ is actually China (and Asia)”
-I was clearly referring to Russia center of gravity, by which I mean her industries, population and infrastructure.
silly analysis
you cannot have a contigious border of thousnads of miles and not address long term relationship
fact is this association is made in heaven – China emerging powerhouse with huge population that regards work and innovation as fundamental – Russia Imagination and education with 100’s of years of innovation – plus largest untapped resources in thr world – 9 time zones and 100 Trillion undeveloped reserves
made for domination as a combo with Germany / Turkey / Iran / Syria / Iraq would end the hegemony and insanity of Washington DC
Washington is a criminal organization Hillary proved that with Rigged Bernie Primary
we are close to the end of a long wave that started in 1945 – cant fool people any more – EU on its back because of US financial strategies emulated by Brussels
in a War with China able to out out cheap weapons with Russian design and technology and 100 million man army – US cannot compete
Korea – 1953 – False Flag – MacArthur goes to Manchurian Border sees 500,000 Chinese and they push him back to 38 parallel where the US is today – same will happen of they take on China and Russia again
The hate of Iran and all these people is intense – get rid of the Clintons (lock em up) and ……..change!
Yes silly facts. That makes a Russian “Pivot to Asia” impossible, even if Putin wanted, which he does not, Putin wants to create a Greater Europe with Germany.
1. The supermajority of Russia population is in western Russia, the European part of Russia, not in the east.
2. The supermajority of Russian industry is in western Russia, the European part of Russia, not in the east.
3. The supermajority of Russas infrastructure is in western Russia, the European part of Russia, not in the east.
4. Needless to say, Russia infrastructure is gear with trade to W.Europe, not with China.
5. Russia could not even transport gas and oil from the Caucasus and sell to China even if it wanted, because the massive distance would make it profitable, and as previously mention, the pipes are geared towards W.Europe.
6. China is alien to Russia in every sense, demographically, culturally, religiously, linguistically.
Number 6 pretty much applies across the continental cultures of this world.
But the fundamental values of tradition – particularly the family, and general population/inter-generational welfare – in holistic terms – put China and Russia in the same boat. That, and a genuine grasp of interconnected internationalism, along with respect for cultural autonomies.
The current leaderships are very much on the same page when it comes to Western liberal decay and it’s fascist – socially, economically and politically – implementation. Warfare as an integral part of political economy is fundamentally anathema to both Putin and Xi.
So I believe that while you may be partially right in terms of economic and cultural ‘toplology’, I believe you miss the deeper bonds emerging between the Eurasian and Asian giants. A New World Order is indeed in the pipeline – just not the one planned by the Anglo-Zionists.
The City of London is courting the yuan, as is Canada.
Signs to me Anglo-Zionism is about to shed its hyphenate….
Russia and China have the same cultrure: Staying Alive.
No, Russia and China has a very very different culture, different language and different religions.
You’re not an expert. Russia and China need to stick together or Reptilian Society will rip them apart. Their individual folkways are irrevlevant.
Good point: that alone suffices for working together. After all, defending national interests is the be-all and end-all of true leadership – and so long as they converge here, what else is there to look for?
While Lithuania and Portugal are exactly the same culturally, right?
Actually Russia and China *DO* have things in common; among other things COMMON HISTORY; they have been allies in wars, have a similar experience of WW2.
They share a big border, and thus have also a lot in common culturally (particularly in the eastern regions of Russia).
… or maybe you are pretending that Siberia and Vladivostok are not Russia?
… or that Xinjiang and Manchuria are not China ?
Russians and Chinese have a lot in common.
Putins face is a good hint, that Russians have ancestors from Northern China/Mongolia.
They may not have the religion in common, but they have relations.
Russian have traits which are not typical for Western Europeans, and which point to East Asia.
– They are not fixed on written documents, on treaties. They can count on a man’s word.
– They are not using strong words and rhetorics to praise themselves. They seem to be able to take them out of the spotlight. Western people are much more vain.
(This is a view from Germany.)
Putin’s ethnicity has Finnic blood. Which is what you see. His ancestry had input from the Finnic refugees that moved to the Tver region during wars in the Middle Ages.
What do you mean by “Finnic” blood here Uncle Bob? Finnish i.e. from Finland?
I’m curious as to where you obtain your knowledge of Putin’s ancestry, as I have come across nothing to acknowledge this, not even in his own Autobiography. He mentions where one of his granmothers lived all her life, that’s all.
I can’t remember where I read that from. I think it came from an article of famous Russian’s ethnicity.But as I recall it was 4 or 5 years ago. But besides Finns from Finland,there were many “Finnic” tribal peoples in what is now Russia. A few of those peoples still exist. Though many of them intermarried,or otherwise assimilated to become considered as Slavic over the centuries.Also until the 1930’s there were quite a few “Finnic” peoples that lived in the rural villages around St Petersburg/Leningrad. They were separate from,but related to Estonians, who are a “Finnic” people themselves.They were mostly Orthodox,and intermarried heavily with other Russians.Another Russian (actually Soviet. but one of the few from Russia itself) ruler Yuri Andropov, was of part Finnic ancestry.The Russians (Slavs) for centuries in the North and East intermarried with Finnic peoples. And In the South and Southeast with Caucasian and Turkic peoples. While in what is now Ukraine the Russian (Slavs) there intermarried in the Southwest with Vlachs (today’s Moldavians and Romanians),in the West with Polish Slavs,and in the South with Tatar peoples.Belarus also has an admixture of Polish ancestry in the West,and of Lithuanian “Balt” in the North. Russia has many small ethnic groups.Even if the Russian Slavic percentage in Russia’s population is officially 80-83%. That also includes people considered as Russian Slavs,that may have mixed ancestry. But who identify themselves with their language and culture as Russian Slav.
“Putins face is a good hint, that Russians have ancestors from Northern China/Mongolia.”
What do you mean about Putin’s face? Which features and in what regard are they of “Mongolia”?. And when in his life – when he was a small boy; a youth; a young man in the KGB; after years in a high stress job as President, when the stress chemical cortisol has had effect?
As a one time geneticist and biologist I do find such general statements a bit – lacking in conviction. I suspect one can make little to nothing about most of us and our ancestry based on them. Otherwise, we can point to my black curly birth hair, black eyebrows, fine pale skin and deep blue eyes and acknowledge that indeed the North Welsh are of Circassian origin!!!.
Personally I wouldn’t take it that far.
They had one important thing in common,until western electronic changed for both countries it’s the ABACUS! One could see them using it in every shop in both countries not long ago, in Moscow or Beijing. Sure not yet too westernized people still use it in China and Russia, because it’quick and easy… and its more ecologic and cheap than electronic calculators.
What utter tosh. As far as Russian public opinion is concerned, anti-Western contempt and ridicule is very strong. The EU elicits no admiration in Russia; Putin does.
Western exceptionalist delusions work with the Russian 5th columnists and the Empire’s Eastern European vassals. Russia won’t be staging any gay parades or fall victim to color revolutions for a very long time.
Staging Gay Parades has become a prerequisite for belonging to this club of degenerates.
It is not a sign of progress -as they would have us believe- it is a sign of moral decay and decadence.
The countries that have refused to sign up, like Russia, Iran and China, give us hope.
No “rainbow revolutions” around here, thank you very much!
I did not mention EU..
I dont see anything you said relating to my comment, I never even mentioned EU.
EU elicits no admiration wihtin EU, it is a despite and hated dictatorship that all traditionalist are working on tearing down or escaping from.
Putin does however elicit admiration from all nationalists/conservative/traditonalist that are set to take over W.Europe soon.
If people were forced to pick a handle (the “Anonymous” option forcibly removed), there would be less problems here.
I mentioned the EU since the opening “Anonymous” comment which I was answering to invoked Europe and Western markets, sincerely questioning the viability of deepened Sino-Russian cooperation.
For your information: Just like the rest of the world — save the congenital idiots of Eastern Europe — Russia has no need for Western Europe and its bloated egos; nationalist or not.
All the people of this benighted planet need to work together to save humanity from the twin horrors of ecological collapse and the Atlanticist genocidaires. That’s why Russia and China must stand together, or hang separately, along with the rest of us.
Global power is shifting east, like it or not, and it is not just Russia pivoting to Asia, German big business is just waiting for the right political circumstances to ‘pivot’ and carry the rest of Europe with them, and at the expense of the US and its UK Man Fridays.
The US and the UK do not even consider themselves as of European stock, but rather as of pure anglo saxons, reason they share secrets under the 5 eyes arrangement only with fellow anglo saxons i.e the Canadians, Australians and New Zealand. Germany, a NATO member and nation with GDP output more than the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand combined, is not trusted enough to share 5 eyes secrets with.
Russia is Germany’s only natural ally, and far from a ‘Berlin-Vladivostok’ economic union, what Putin wants is a Berlin-Moscow-Beijing economic union that will dwarf and replace the current post WW2 anglo saxon crafted international order. That is what New Silk Road/BRICS/SCO/AIIB/NDB is all about, and Russia/China are joined in a symbiotic alliance to see it through, with or without AZ cooperation.
Russia is as I said not “pivoting to asia”, her natural partner and allies lies in the west, if you read my comment you will find out it is actually impossible for Russia to “pivot to asia” even if she wanted to as all her major industries, population centers and infrastructure is in the West of Russia, geared towards W.Europe. Of course Putin knows this and wants to create a Greater Europe with Germany, and USA knows this as well and does all they can to stop Russia and Germany from working togheter.
There is some truth in what you say. But the point is that “they are both threatened by the West”. And that makes for a great incentive to do things that should have been done anyway. But just needed that push to get them started. Russia does have resources that China needs. And while the distance may be long. It certainly isn’t longer than the distance that China gets resources from now from other places.And unlike some (most) of those places,getting them from Russia is much safer. Once the infrastructure is built it will be much easier as well as safer.As for Russia,they are learning daily that the West is not their friend. And a bad place to seek funding from. Whereas,if there is one thing China can provide,its funding. As well as much of the technology needed to allow Russia to bypass the West. As the US’s immense trade with Japan and China shows.Its not necessary to be a close distance from a country to have business relationships with them.
“Russia knows she belongs in her European family”
This suggestion of binary choice is very old-fashioned.
Russia knows she belongs to the family of the moneyed and cultured.
Jeff, I don’t think People’s Daily is all there is to China’s internal dialogue. Unlike Russia, the strong pro-Western faction in China has strong support through the population. This faction, as well as “realists” such as Shen Dingli should serve to temper any “irrational exuberance” about China – Russia ties. Echoing strong voices in Moscow, their main point is that this is a marriage of convenience, and will last as long as there’s a need for it.
Articles such as http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/996163.shtml can serve to highlight the fact that whatever the relationship at the very top level is today, the broader elites in the two countries don’t trust each other. At the very top, both have to promote this marriage because their concerns are immediate security in the face of a wounded Hegemon whose thrashing about endangers both. Below that level, we see a different picture.
One cannot escape the geographical fact that Moscow is 5 time zones closer to Europe than Beijing. Cyrillic and cathedral domes aside, Moscow “feels” as European as Prague, or Warsaw. Beijing (like Shanghai, Guangzhou, Cheng Du, Shenzhen, etc) is Chinese without a hint of admixture.
However deeply Putin and Xi respect each other, the average Chinese wishes America would go back to being American so they can put it back on its pedestal. Here in south China, while admiring Putin’s strong leadership and Russia’s military prowess, the average informed Chinese, if he doesn’t vaguely fear it, couldn’t care less about what Russia is and finds nothing admirable about it. These people vote with their wallets, and they’re buying property in Vancouver, not Vladivostok.
It’s been a while since I visited Beijing, but here in S. China Russian media is invisible. The cable TV features American TV shows, news programs, movies, along with some European programming (all subtitled in Chinese), but I haven’t seen or heard of a single Russian program, ever.
If the broad middle class, and a large portion of the industrial/commercial/academic elites in both countries aren’t with the program, a marriage of convenience is wacchyagots.
Russia is as much an Asian nation as China. Geography is destiny. The Far East is significant. The Kurill islands step into the waters of Asia. Vladisvostok is the most strategic port, gateway inland and export door to the Pacific. Connected to North Korea, the Korean Peninsula, and China and sharing Japanese waters makes Russia as Asian as it is European or Central Asian or Baltic (Kaliningrad). You might say it almost is Scandinavian, too. The Far East will dominate access to the Arctic. That is why Japan and Vietnam have been invited to participate with Russia in both the Far East and the Arctic.
No need for a pivot. Russia is there. Has been there for centuries.
Russia Bordering Countries: Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, Norway, Poland, Ukraine
Here’s a map. Take a tour.
http://free.bridal-shower-themes.com/img/p/h/physical-map-of-russia-and-surrounding-countries_2.jpg
Here’s the history of Russia in maps.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Maps_of_the_history_of_Russia
Looks like its had Asian presence for 400 years.
“Russia is as much an Asian nation as China.”
I think you’d want to take that one back. It doesn’t appear that you were being sarcastic.
Europeans do not see Russians as European, and North Americans don’t either.
Any signs of admiration among Zio-gays and Exceptionals would be something Russia should be very worried about. Their hatred is proof positive of a predominantly healthy Russian society.
There is truth in this statement. Trouble is, the majority of Russians see themselves as Europeans, where as Europe doesn’t see as Europeans.
I wonder if the perception the West has of Russia has similar parallels to what the average Russian thinks of the Chinese, with a slight derogatory (due to ignorance) view? Any thoughts?
@Erebus
I lived in the Russian far east and it is as Asian as it gets. please take a tour there, and even of the Siberian ciites and you’d understand better. You may want to look at your argument from the perspective of someone in Siberia or the Rus Far East, not only Moscow.
But self-centerd west only sees in other countries the local westernize minority.
That is why in Russia they only see a portion of the population from Moscow and St Petersburg (even Kaliningrad or Sevastopol are invisible for them).
But waht matters about Russia is not what some foreign West things or perceives, but what Russia thinks about herself.
And you only need to look at some russian visual documents (there is not even a need to understand the language, just images) to see that it’s quite different from Europe.
Particularly if you look at the traditionl things, the cossack clothing and weapons for example, they are more asian than european.
Geographically Russia may be close to China, but culturally – no. As a Russian living in the West for 20 years, a long time reader of this site and a fierce Guardian et al comments warrior (at least 3 accounts now being moderated) I am totally aware of the Empire’s game.
I am therefore speaking from the heart.
An average Russian understands the importance of turning to China. But he does that because of his much closer relative – the European, has gone off the rails (a Russian still hopes temporarily) . So he reluctantly turns to his little understood and not much loved relative – China, for support. it’s a survival technique. The heart of an average Russian is not in it, however. He is waiting for his European and Ukrainian brothers to come to their senses (mind you, the Poles and Baltic nightmares have been written off for good). Historically speaking, this is a very naive expectation. But hope dies last, as they say.
Unless a lot of effort is made to promote and educate both the Chinese and the Russians about each other’s culture through literature, interesting documentaries, language learning etc etc, I cannot see a fundamental shift in average person’s attitude. But even with massive efforts the change will take a generation.
I therefore share Erebus’s sentiment completely.
Russia’s future is in Asia, because that is where the overwhelming majority of its customers will be. And Russia’s population will move east because of the vast economic opportunities there.
Absolutely right on.
The alarm in China and Russia over a pending war with the “West” is quite palpable now. There has been a huge change in their sense of threat, since the beginning of the year. This article, from February, categorically states that, “China has no interest in a formal alliance with Russia, nor in forming an anti-U.S. or anti-Western bloc of any kind.” http://www.gatewayhouse.in/how-china-sees-russia/
In April, this translated article at Fort Russ implied that Lavrov was exploring closer military ties with China, but that Russian hydrocarbon exploration in Vietnam’s waters might impede such an arrangement. http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/04/the-south-china-sea-deal-breaker-for.html
China clearly perceives that the euphemism “freedom of navigation” is code for the US Navy’s ability to blockade China’s sea trade routes in the South China Sea. The closer the US Navy can be to China’s coast, the tighter the blockade can be. No trade will pass except that denominated in US$. Likewise, the assault on Russia is intended to claim Russian resources, and to ensure that those too are denominated only in US$. The Chinese island defences are to keep the US Navy as far away as possible, more than for any claim of sovereignty.
In a speech on the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, July 1st, President Xi Jinping said, “We are now witnessing the aggressive actions by the United States against Russia and China. I believe that Russia and China may form an alliance before which NATO will be powerless and it will put the end to the imperialist aspirations of the West,” http://thesaker.is/chinas-president-xi-jinping-speech-on-the-95th-anniversary-of-the-communist-party-of-china/
Three weeks later, President Putin scolded the world’s press, after the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, about the failure to report on the aggressive moves by the USA and NATO in placing so-called ABM systems in Romania and Poland, which installations may be very quickly and easily converted to first-strike weapons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqD8lIdIMRo
Now, Jeff brings confirmation that an alliance appears to be coming into being. Let us pray that it does come to full fruition soon, and that, perhaps, a half-million Chinese troops, arrayed in Russia’s western military district, will at least give the European NATO members pause for thought, if not the USA. China also needs to enter into an immediate alliance with Syria and Iran to insure against Clinton’s intentions there, if elected. We are approaching the end game, the last attempt of the USA to stave off financial collapse. Until recently, I think that China and Russia had very much underestimated the US determination to enforce its hegemony, and to continue its extraction of tribute from the world through the petro-dollar.
This is wondrous news. The enraged terror at Brexit of all Washington DC is simply to hide this Chinese/Russian fact. The announced melding of the EU and NATO is a merely dirty joke. A way to revengefully manipulate the European Continent to being permanently excluded from the multi-polar world unfolding in unstoppable fashion. Just as GMO seeds spell species death so does US Pentagon NATO/IMF/NSA/CIA/FBI/Homeland etc etc etc. And the EU continues making agreements with the US, the US has no intention of honouring. The global terrorism unfolding so effectively is directly because Germany, France and Italy all decided to stop the EU sanctions on RussiaI NOT ALLOWED!
But, the US cannot stop peoples keeping their means of human survival alive. Unipolar world is genocidal. As was `Hitler who also used the Olympics to showcase death.
The top end in China recognises the threat from the US. The US is China’s biggest trade partner. A lot of Chinese are obviously making money from having good “trade relations” with the US.
Perhaps the best thing China could do is to republish all US anti China rhetoric in their media?
The EU is the largest trading partner of China, not the US.
The US is the largest nation trade with China, nation to nation.
But EU trade is larger. And trade rules and deals with EU nations are regulated by the EU.
There can be no question that the matter in dispute is not whether or not there shall be a global hegemon. Rather the dispute is about the evolution and character of that hegemon. This is to say that the hegemon is inevitable while how is will be run, by whom and for whom, remains to be determined.
This question comes down to who will rule and for whom. Will global unification be pluralist and for the peoples? Or will it be a tyranny by the few and for the few?
This terrible force must necessarily energize new alliances and re-shape old ones. Sino-Russian Alliance is inevitable as sunrise.
A powerful country the zios have a very questionable influence on (Russia) aligning strongly with another very powerful country the zios have almost zero influence over and who they depend upon intensely to keep their exploitive establishment afloat (China), no wonder there is so much zio-gay psy-ops being run to try and pour cold water on this alliance and on people’s perceptions in the zio-west on this matter. The zionazi war making machine depeends on their western slaves remainig ignorant of what the zio-gays are using them to do to try and maintain zpc/nwo hegenomy.
The future of Russia lies in the Siberian-Asian/Pacific-Arctic region. Permafrost thawing of the coldest parts of the Arctic hemisphere around the top of the world is gradually changing the geopolitical landscape of several countries, including Canada. The Europe will become an economic deadzone in the future due to too many migrants moving and settling there – civil wars and national fragmentation will happen, just like the Europe of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Russia should do wise to invest tremendously in rehabbing far-flung Siberian cities and towns, preparing them to become future economic/capital centers and new real estate-viable zones. To ignore the potentialities risk Russia losing to the Asian (read Chinese, possibly Korean) sphere of influence in Siberian-Pacific area.
This may takes several decades, toward year 2100. Prepare, invest, and plan now for the long term prospects and viable opportunities.
This is where the land deals for agriculture are made with China. It is where investment is encouraged for Japan and China to locate.
Putin is leading the way. He is reforming the regional governments. He is spotlighting the military in these regions. He is turning Russians themselves to understand the great value of the Siberian and Far Eastern component of Russia as superpower and civilization.
It is beginning. A decade from now it will be fully understood.
Especially, since the newest threat is coming from the East. The US is trying hard to contain China and Russia. The excuse is North Korea in the North and South China Sea in the South, with a little agitation in the East China Sea stimulating Japan to confront China on the East China Sea islands which are clearly Chinese. Diayou Islands were Chinese and held back from China after the war because the Communists defeated the KMT. If the KMT had won China, the islands would have been handed back to China.
Russia will be the deciding factor as it works with China. The US cannot deal with both together. And the alliance the US has is not NATO. It is Australian and India and Japan. And India will not go to war against either China or Russia. It will be set back two centuries if it fights a regional war.
Japan is the real danger. The Imperialism is out of the chains of the Constitution again. Abe has failed with the economy. The Elites do well but the masses are not doing well for over two decades.
This is why Putin is opening up with Japan. To draw Japan into the Eurasian and Far East marketplace in particular.
China and Russia are doing very successful things as a team. Now they will build a military defense in the seas, Space and on the land. It will make US hegemony by force a useless power thrust.
If TPP does not pass (with Trump it will be killed), the US will lose its economic hegemony over Asia. All the US will have left is covert actions. No way will those destabilize China or Russia. But the US could chose to destabilize the entire region with another land war on the Korean Peninsula. However, I think Putin will head that off like he did the all out attack on Syria over chemical weapons. Putin understands all the tools of the Hegemon. And unlike Syria, removal of Kim in N.Korea is an option Russia and China would choose to stop a war from getting started.
The UN has issued a statement welcoming the efforts to allow civilians to flee Aleppo. However, the spokesman added that it would be better if the UN handled to operation as they have wider experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7Grrl0aZpc
Here is just one example of the UN’s experience. In a UN aid drop to beseiged Deir ez Zor, the UN flights managed to drops the aid into territory held by ISIS.
Russia continues to drop aid accurately into civilian areas, dropping another 20 tons on 29 July.
https://z5h64q92x9.net/proxy_u/ru-en.en/tvzvezda.ru/news/vstrane_i_mire/content/201607300921-5dhx.htm
My guess is the US wants the UN involved so CIA infiltrators can let their takfiris through the corridor.
“My guess is the US wants the UN involved so CIA infiltrators can let their takfiris through the corridor.”
My guess is the zionazis want the UN involved so CIA infiltrators, and other unsavoury brand names, can let their takfiris through the corridor.
Re the Anonymous who feels Russia “belongs” in Europe and especially needs Germany and perceives China to be an alien land …. these opinions sound like the views that Russian atlanticists hold – and hold deeply. The only problem is these views will do Russia and the rest of the world no good. The west-leaning Russians have still not understood that if they want to wine and dine with the west Europeans then they will have to accept to sit at the servants’ table. God knows when they will come to their senses. Perhaps some more kicks from the Germans (who recently declared Russia to be an enemy-state)? or perhaps Nato’s humanitarian bombs? What will it take these types to see the world as it really is?
A few years of hard labor in Northern Siberia would be my thinking on that. Strange as it seems that,might just wake them up. Or at least prevent them from doing anymore damage if they decide to stay asleep.
“had it not been for USA harassing Russia and China they would not push together … etc.
This anonymous thought derives from several things, most of them of deep ignorance of the dynamics of geopolitics of any big empire. but our There are commentator seeming to belong always and compulsively to the ”i am against’ group: it grants him a great deal and sense of satisfaction.
It is not an option for any arrogant empire to let another country of big population + big resources + internal cohesion (CHINA or Russia)not to attack and destroy its potential soon as possible. Better sooner than later. Pls make an even perfunctory study on it.
So if one of them – moscow and beijing rejects supporting the other is pure folly bcs they will be the next victim, inevitably. If china temporarily accepts any kind of alliance with the west, it won´t change the outcome. And both know it very well.
And since peter the Great, it is the first time the russians have started to pretend being kinda europeans. This will only grow and grow. And FYI, this is possible because the ONLY, repeat the only
economic/business/activity sector where world capitalism has de facto reached ‘globalization’ is Communications. And the russia people gets aware in minutes of everything the westerners say, think and vomit hate about them.