China and Russia
news.bbc.co.uk
I am writing with reference to the letter: "Sino-Russian military exercise," by Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal (August 29). Andrei Piontkovosky, Executive Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies in Moscow, recently wrote: "Last week, Russia and China held joint military manoeuvers in the presence of both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Hu Jintao. But a new strategic alliance between the two countries is not likely, as it is China that poses the greatest threat to Russia, although many in the Kremlin seem blind to this as they rattle sabers at America and the West." Dr. Piontkovosky points out that China has territorial claims on Russia. China has a population of more than 1 billion while Russia, which is much bigger in size than China, has a small population of only about 150 million. In fact, vast Russian territories bordering China are extremely sparsely populated and China sees them as "vital space" for its expansion. He points out that on September 2006, China's People's Liberation Army conducted a large 10-day exercise, involving the Shenyang and Beijing military districts, the two most powerful of China's seven military districts. Shenyang abuts Russian Armed Force's Far Eastern District, and the Beijing District shares borders with Russia's Siberian Military District. During the exercises, Shenyang units advanced 1,000 kilometers into the Beijing district, where they engaged in joint war games. According to most military observers, the Beijing/ Shenyang exercises seemed to be practice for a possible offensive operation against Russia. As Piontkovsky writes: "The geography of the exercises, and the offensive nature of the task undertaken, leave little doubt that Russia was cast in the role of 'potential adversary.' Such a show of force is an ancient, traditional Chinese political technique." Andrei Piontkovsky concludes: "And China is succeeding, most importantly reinforcing Putin's anti-American and anti-Western agenda. While Beijing/ Shenyang exercise should have indicated to Russian leaders that China's intentions towards Russia may not always be benign, Russia's political and military leadership seem not to sense any threat; on the contrary, they continue to sell the Chinese advanced weapons. ... Thirty-six years ago, Richard Nixon and Mao Zedong turned world politics upside down, as both America and China realised that it was the Soviet Union, and not each other, that posed the greater threat. Vladimir Putin needs his own 'Nixon moment.' Alienating the West is a foolish strategy when the greatest long-term threat to Russia comes from the East.”
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