How China is seen from Moscow and Washington is the topic of a new project by Kommersant and Washington Times newspapers. It is carried out under the initiative of the Valdai International Discussion Club in Moscow and the Center for the National Interest in Washington.
For a year now, Russia and China check their actions against the benchmark of bilateral relations set during May talks in Moscow between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. Not everything has worked out immediately; many commentators are disappointed with the lack of visible progress, while much deeper ties on all levels have not yet brought the expected result. Why this happened, how fatal it is, and whether it is time to expect breakthroughs, are all topics for a separate conversation. However, Western assessments of the failure of the “Russian-Chinese alliance” also give off a certain unease: “What if it actually succeeds?”
Read more: Amazing Phenomenon. Russia-US Dialogue and No Need For Panic. Russia-US Dialogue
Despite the currently modest fruits of Russian-Chinese confluence, the very possibility of it influences international relations. The perseverance of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who despite Washington’s displeasure, continues to look at opportunities for developing ties with Russia (he is meeting Putin in Sochi on Friday), is motivated by his wish to not drive Moscow into Beijing’s embrace. The US, too, is worried by the idea of Russia and China uniting their efforts in anything. It is no incident that Barack Obama said unequivocally in his recent op-ed in the Washington Post, that the rules of international trade must be written by the US and its partners, while other countries (read: China) should simply play by those rules.
How China is seen from Moscow and Washington is the topic of a new project by Kommersant and Washington Times newspapers. It is carried out under the initiative of the Valdai International Discussion Club in Moscow and the Center for the National Interest in Washington.
Fyodor Lukyanov, Research Director of the Foundation for Development and Support of the of the Valdai Discussion Club
China transforming into global Rorschach test
By Paul J. Saunders, Executive Director of The Nixon Center and Associate Publisher of The National Interest
By Timofei Bordachev, Programme Director (Eurasian programme), Valdai Discussion Club Foundation
