Internal Eurasian cooperation is inevitable
- By Feng Shaolei
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E-mail China.org.cn, October 24, 2014
Internal cooperation in Eurasia is an objective trend
There are people who believe Beijing-Moscow-Berlin trilateral trade ties will replace the U.S. global trade dominance. It is too soon to call this trilateral tie a "trade union," since Germany, an economic leader in the European Union, is mulling over joining a major transatlantic cooperation such as the TTIP. But it is true that the China-Russia-EU cooperation has long been in deliberation.
In the mid 1990s when the European Union had just been established, there were proposals to build intercontinental railways to link Europe and Asia. And in the wake of the Iraq War in 2003, Russia, China, France and Germany united to oppose the U.S. unilateral move in starting the war. Now, in the 21st century, the New Eurasian Land Bridge and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization are among the new regional mechanisms to boost internal cooperation within Europe and Asia.
The trend is more than a subjective political move, it is a natural call for development from countries in both continents. After the Cold War ended, development in Eurasia was fast on both ends but stagnated in the Eurasian heartland. In other words, East Asia and West Europe boomed in the post-Cold War era, while Russia-led central Eurasia failed to catch up.
Central Eurasian countries' urge to boost the economy will mean opportunities for China, and China should bear in mind that the Eurasian Economic Union has regional security on its agenda.
Sustainable development of a country calls for international stability. Therefore, addressing common interest in Eurasia without targeting a third party and pushing forward mutually beneficial cooperation is important.
In the present age of globalization and interdependency, it is possible to reallocate resources peacefully, without repeating former geopolitical contentions.
But the active interactions between different parts of Eurasia will inevitably have a huge strategic impact. Therefore, China should seek a balance between the land and sea, instead of joining the struggles.
The writer is dean of the School of Advanced International and Area Studies, East China Normal University.
The article was translated by Chen Boyuan. Its original version was published in Chinese.
Opinion articles reflect the author's own opinion, not necessarily that of China.org.cn.
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