Sino-Russian Relation Growing Stronger
(by Ching Cheong | Straits Times | December 4, 2002)
Ties are cemented by need for security and a coordinated approach towards the US, and desire for economic cooperation
The Chinese and Russian leaders seemed to have moved their bilateral relations a step forward by reconfirming that they were totally committed to establishing a 'strategic partnership'. Both leaders, through signing another joint communique, hailed mutual ties, saying they have never been closer.
The joint communique, their sixth since 1994 (not including several bilateral treaties), shows clearly that their perceived common need to provide a secure strategic rear for both and a coordinated approach towards the United States, as well as the desire for further economic cooperation, remain the key factors in cementing bilateral ties. Security is still the primary concern.
Their common desire 'to be good neighbours, friends and partners and never be foes' was written into the communique. In line with this, Russia re-affirmed its support for China's sovereignty claim over Taiwan and Tibet, while China reciprocated by supporting Russian suppression of the separatist moves in Chechnya. A coordinated approach towards the United States is another factor moving them together.
In their joint communique, they stressed the multi-polarity of the world and, as such, international relations had to be democratised, with the United Nations playing a key role in settling international disputes — a veiled criticism of American unilateralism.
According to a source, this was a significant pointer indicating that Sino-Russian relations were slightly warmer than Russian-American relations in the Beijing-Moscow-Washington triangle.
The source said that after the Sept 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, Moscow had accepted a Washington request to drop the reference to multi-polarity in any official documents in order not to irritate a wounded America.
But in the just-signed joint communique with Beijing, the same phrase and concept stand out prominently. Although he did not offer any explanation this time, the Russian leader told the People's Daily, Beijing's official mouthpiece, on May 30 that he believed in multi-polarity.
He also characterised bilateral relations with China as one of 'non-aligned, non-belligerent, and non-targeting at third parties'. He believed that relations based on these characteristics could serve as a new model for state-to-state ties in a multi-polar world. The joint communique also calls for a joint approach on a host of international issues, such as the de-nuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula as well as possible US action against Iraq and the build-up of missile defence. Finally, economic incentives provide the lubricant for coming closer. After the Sept 11 attacks, China seemed to have dropped the idea of building up a pan-Asian pipeline system to bring oil from Central Asia to China and through to Japan and Korea.
The obvious reason was none other than the semi-permanent military presence of the US in the wake of its invasion of Afghanistan. Following the footsteps of the American soldiers are the US oil companies.
They succeeded in persuading Caspian Sea oil producers to send oil out of the land-locked Central Asia westwards, through Nato member Turkey. This hurt Russian interests for it had been lobbying for the oil to be sent northwards via existing Russian facilities.
Thus both China and Russia found a common ground for stepping up cooperation in developing oil-rich Siberia. The joint communique urged such cooperation to start as soon as possible.
The project under consideration involves a US$1.7- billion (S$3-billion) investment to build a 2,400-km pipeline linking Russia's Irkust oil fields to the refineries in Daqing in north-east China. This would bring 20-30 million tonnes of Russian oil into China per year, increasing bilateral trade by over US$6 billion annually. Without concrete economic incentives, relations based merely on a common political stance could hardly be consolidated.
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