Chen James Chen Mr.

Benson AP Comparative Politics Oct 24, 2012 Russia and neighbors: Asia

Russia has international borders with 14 sovereign states with length of 20241 kilometers in total. Among them, six are Asian Countries: Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and North Korea. Throughout history, Russia tied close relations with its boarder Asian countries, especially in the cold period. In recent years, Asia is becoming the global leader of economic growth, the rapid develop has drawn close attentions of analysts worldwide. For Russia, the situation suggests Russian policy makers to reassess the importance of the AsiaPacific region. Russias close relation and the dominant role to central Asia started in 19th century. Even in the early 18th century, Russia played a role as the region former colonizer to northern parts of Kazakhstan. During that period of time, the west was busy in the process of industrialization; however, on the other side of world, the East was still enjoying its monarchism and hadnt realized they were lagged behind. While Russia stand in between Asia and Europe, half industrialized, didnt get involved in colonial competition with the West, but wanted to start ahead and take over the Central and East Asia. But it didnt happen until the Communism rose to power. In early 20th century, most Asian countries were in extreme poverty, but only Japan was relatively industrialized, even more developed than the Russia Empire. Unfortunately, Japan took over Korea and Northeast China even before Russia made its plan. The war between these two ambitious empires began. Russia lost the war to Japan and back to Moscow, there was revolution.

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The revolution of 1905 was the combination of political and social unrest that spread through the populated areas of the Russian Empire. Twelve years later, another revolution began, and it changed the change Russias international standing forever: the February Revolution in 1917, and later that year, the Communist Party took control over Russia. The spread of communism was successful. Since most of the East and central Asian countries were lagged behind technologically and financially, lower class such as peasants and workers started revolutions like the one in Russia. After the Second World War, central Asian countries like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan joined the Soviet Union; with the support of soviet, the Chinese Communist Party defeated the Chinese National Party and won the Civil war of China. The Communist Russia was in the time which most influential to Asia both economically and politically. After the Soviet Union collapsed, the New Russia focused more with the relations to the west. The last decades rapid economic growth of China and Korea draws Russia attention back to its former comrades-in-arms. The current in-power Party, United Russia, has the policies that allow Russia to build active economic relations with the Asia-Pacific Region. Over the last three years, the percentage of trades with 11 countries including China, Japan and Korea in the Asia-Pacific Region has increased to 13.4 percent in Russias foreign trade. And the party is trying to push the number to 30. As a member of Asia-Pacific Economic Corporation, Russia is seeking to import and develop new technology from East Asia and improved its shrinking market of technology goods. On diplomatic fronts, Russia kept contacts with Pyongyang in North Korea while keeping good relations with Seoul in South Korea. With China, it established a strategic partnership. The current government launched a massive program with state funds to invest social

Chen development in the Russians Far East region. The objective is not only to develop its economy in this long-neglected region, but also to reinforce Russias position in the Pacific. As a member

of Six-Party Talk, Russia is becoming more and more influential politically and diplomatically to the Pacific Asia. In Central Asia, the Russian government focused on security and energy policies. Putin has presided over a more proactive, hardheaded and effective Russian policy in the Central Asian and Caspian regions since 2002. Russia is trying to strengthen its influence in the former Soviet Union region and compete with United States for security partnership. In 2001, The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was founded, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, China and Russia. It focused on its member nations security concerns in central Asia. Over the years, the organization has expanded its activities to increasing military cooperation, intelligence sharing, and counterterrorism. The Sino-Russia relation has always been a hot topic for both politicians and critics. In past century, these two communists giants were just about to change the world, the Sino-Russia relation had been to its best shape in the early 50s. But China shifted in strategic orientations from the Soviet Union to the United States later. And when the Soviet collapsed, Beijing was enjoying excellent relations with Washington. Now, twenty years after the end of the Cold War, Beijing has built an even closer tie to Moscow than Washington. And the Russian government is tent to form closer relations to China. In 2020, China will replace Germany as the biggest foreign trade partner of Russia with 20% of Russias total international trade; Russia will still be the biggest military hardware for China. Those two countries always have mutual agreements in opposing US global dominance and policies over foreign issues. Critics are guessing if China and Russia would found a bloc like NATO. If the bloc were found, it would be enormously

Chen influential since it has a total population of 1.5 billion and the region accounts for 11 per cent of the worlds oil reserves. Russia is now shaping its economic relationships in Asia; as well provide a powerful source of leverage with its strategic partners. The relationship between Asia and Russia will approach to a new level.