Sunday, July 19, 2015

When China Cards Attack

Russia thinks they can play the "China card" to deflect the West. But as Russia plays up mythical NATO threats to western Russia, China advances into Central Asia.

Russia smiles and plays along as China calls the shots in their relationship:

Russia is acutely aware that it cannot, and will not try to, compete with China's growing global economic influence, even if this extends into Russia's traditional sphere of influence in Central Asia. However, it's clear that China's dominance in both its bilateral relationship with Russia and within the multilateral organisations it has traditionally co-led with Moscow is increasing. As such, it's difficult to see how the Silk Road Economic Belt and the EEU could fully integrate, particularly given the much broader remit of the former. Instead, at least on a symbolic level, it's more likely that the EEU project will be subsumed by the wider Chinese project.

Yeah, say goodbye to the Russian-dominated Eurasian Economic Union. The Chinese simply aren't playing Russia's game, at all.

The Russians are running out of time for their policy of appeasing China.