Internal Eurasian cooperation is inevitable
- By Feng Shaolei
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E-mail China.org.cn, October 24, 2014
Sino-Russia co-op has foundations deeper than the Ukrainian crisis
Many Western media claim Moscow is experiencing difficulties after being the victim of sanctions amid the Ukrainian crisis. Russia is capable of withstanding the pressure from material shortages resulting from the sanctions. As the largest country in the world, Russia is abundant with resources, which gives Moscow room to maneuver. The Russian people, having experienced severe material shortages during the Soviet Union breakdown, can live through this round of sanctions.
The sanctions have caused deeper psychological trauma for the Russian people, evident in rising support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and rising resentment towards the West. Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, for example, suddenly started to champion for Putin, reversing his former anti-Putin stance.
At the same time, as Russia is feeling uncomfortable about being isolated, there are discussions within the country about forming alliances with other countries to boost security. Senior economist Vladimir Portiakov is among the Russian elite who support an alliance with Beijing, while others are prudent and dubious about it.
Putin set the final tone of the discussion, saying that Russia and China should maintain a close relationship without forming an alliance. His conclusion was reflected in Moscow's sincere efforts to deepen Moscow-Beijing bilateral ties, and to orient the Russian economy to the East.
This year has seen frequent exchanges of all levels between the two countries, the latest significant exchange being Premier Li Keqiang's meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, during which lingering disagreements on some major issues, such as the intercontinental railway project, were once again deliberated. Li and Medvedev signed an MoU on a high-speed rail project in Russia, which was interpreted as a "cheerful message," because it signaled the China-Russia project was closer to reality.
Constructing a railway that goes through different countries in Eurasia means unified specifications of railway tracks, besides a huge cash injection, because track width is important to national security. This explains why Spain still maintains a different track width to other E.U. countries.
An agreement on these issues would require time and effective communication, which in turn calls for mutual respect, understanding and care.
It is fair to say the Ukrainian crisis may have some influence, but China-Russia cooperation, which had started long before the unrest, was fundamentally the result of a strategic choice by Russian leaders.
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