Can Russia & China Form a Superpower Bloc , and Should America worry ?
The Nomad Economist: 3-2-2022
China and Russia, The former communist comrades, have returned to being allies in a very different sort of war. The trade war against the US. Today, Russia and China have what they call a “strategic partnership.”
There are lots that Moscow and Beijing work together on, but defense and trade are at the heart of it. In exchange for Russia’s valuable resources, China has been providing its neighbor with advanced machinery and technology including the tools to develop a 5G network.
China, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and Russia were once strong allies in the Cold War. Now, rapid transformation is happening in these countries, some of whom are still struggling to emerge from their communist past. How will the Belt and Road Initiative impact Mongolia and integrate it into China’s masterplan for the 21st century?
How will the Stan countries go from land-locked to land-linked countries? What is the nature of the new strategic partnership between Russia and China? Despite the Russian and Chinese governments had a long war in history.
Today, they recognize that success comes is from cooperation and understanding the differences and figuring out a win-win situation for both. Russia and China, two of the world’s largest superpowers are drawing closer together. Through joint military exercises, mega infrastructure projects, and a united front against American protectionism.
Amid escalating tensions between China and the US over the trade war, Moscow and Beijing have strengthened their relations with a strategic partnership. The Belt and Road initiative linking China and Russia has spark celebrations and concerns.
China, which has a population ten times that of Russia’s. Has also invested billions of dollars in the Belt and Road infrastructure projects across the country.
Russian and Chinese companies pooled together over $100 million to set up the Russia-China Business Park in Saint Petersburg. It’s 10-hectare large, the size of 20 football fields. Russia-China Business Park’s efforts to promote trade and commerce between the two countries were driven almost entirely by the private sector.
Now, the governments of both countries are also looking to ramp up such initiatives. And that has raised eyebrows around the world. Amid escalating tensions between China and the United States over unresolved trade disputes, Presidents Xi and Putin closed ranks in June this year to denounce what they called the “hegemonic dominance of the international system.”
Why has Russia taken China’s side in the trade war? In recent months, Moscow’s support for Beijing has certainly gone beyond just rhetoric. When China was forced to look for alternative sources of meat when its trade talks with the US fell through, Russia was quick to help fill in the gap.
The Cherkizovo Group was one of the first food companies in Russia to start exporting meat to China. It’s seeking to capitalize on both the trade war, as well as the recent swine fever outbreak in China, which greatly affected China’s meat supply.
When the US and its allies closed its doors to Huawei over allegations of espionage, Russia welcomed the company with open arms. Just recently, the Chinese tech giant joined forces with the Russians to develop a 5G network in the country. Huawei was a casualty of the ongoing trade dispute between China and the US. By welcoming Huawei to collaborate with a Russian firm MTC.
While the Russians do not appear to be concerned about issues surrounding artificial intelligence and hi-tech partnerships, I wonder if their commitment to these partnerships will be affected by changing global political winds. If the US eventually softens its approach on China, will this have an impact on the current collaborations between Russia and China?
The reality is China views Russia as much more than a trading partner. Russia’s strategic location makes it a vital bridge for China to connect both the arctic and Eurasia with the broader New Silk Road. Moscow was slapped with tough sanctions by the US and its allies, following its annexation of Crimea.
