Re: Russia-China: Putin's next term

[Marvin Gandall <marvgandall@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I read somewhere the Chinese felt betrayed when the Russians agreed to
let the Japanese, late entrants, divert the proposed West Siberian oil
pipeline from Daqing to Nakhodka for trans-shipment across the Sea of
Japan to Japan and beyond -- presumably to the US West Coast. The
Chinese evidently thought they had reached agreement in Moscow last year
that the oil would be directed their way. Now they're being told,  it
would seem from the Asia Times article, that they'll have to make do
with more limited and costly shipments by rail. How big an issue was/is
this, and was there any US role as far as you know?

Marv Gandall

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Doss" <nomorebounces@xxxxxxx>
To: <PEN-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, March 12, 2004 5:02 AM
Subject: Re: [PEN-L] Russia-China: Putin's next term


> The strategic relationship with China idea goes back to the 1998
Primakov Doctrine put forward during the reign of Boris the Drunk, but
has really developed under Putin as part of 1) the Shanghai Six group
providing collective security in Central Asia and 2) the trilateral
relationship between Russia, China and India, which is in part directed
against the US.
>
> Really, Putin has managed to become allies with everyone and enemies
with no one largely by using one of Russia's built-in advantages (and
defects): size. Russia is the one country that borders every center of
world power. China needs Russia for energy and natural resources; the EU
needs Russia for the same reason; the United States needs it to supply
stability in Central Asia (though there's been a lot of what I consider
pretty knee-jerk talk about the US "thrusting Russia out of the 'stans"
and whatnot, in fact US and Russian activities there have been closely
coordinated; the Kant base was opened not because the Kremlin is worried
about US troops being Kyrgyzstan, but because it is worried that there
are not enough. Actually if the US sent troops to guard the Tajik-Afghan
border and relieve the Russian troops there, the Kremlin would probably
applaud, not to mention the troops.).
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: joanna bujes <jbujes@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: PEN-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2004 20:21:49 -0800
> Subject: Re: [PEN-L] Russia-China: Putin's next term
>
> >
> > Say what you will, Putin is a smart guy.
> >
> > Joanna
> >
> > Eubulides wrote:
> >
> > > http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/FC12Ag01.html
> > >Putin to expand strategic partnership with China
> > >By Sergei Blagov
> > >Mar 12, 2004
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >