Russia-China tandem – the alliance and the geostrategic competition

Discussions on energy security and geostrategic new construction resulting from this remains a topical issue on the agenda of all stakeholders. Developments in the first decade of this century have called Eurasia the focal point of future geopolitical strategy.

Among major global players that dispute (more or less discrete) their capacity to bring this area in its own sphere of influence includes China, Russia and the United States. So in this context, analysts have repeatedly questioned the extent to which traditional and fraternal friendship means a Russian-Chinese strategic partnership to counter U.S. influence in the Far East and as far as a fierce struggle for recognition of regional leadership.
The first level of Russia-China relationship, economic, is the most frequently cited to authorities in Moscow and those in Beijing. Seen through the eyes of the Russian Far East bordering China looks like an eternal and historic threat. Silent siege over one million Chinese illegal immigrants that crossing the Russian border and work as laborers, farmers and traders, and Russian local authorities seem unable to stop the phenomenon. Their fears are hardly heard in Moscow. Or, if they hear, the Kremlin has a different view: China offers economic opportunities. And growth in the last decade also is a result of massive exports to China. [full article]

Published in Cadran Politic Review, nov. 2009 edition

Party Prime Minister Putin will continue to make law in the Moscow City Duma

Today, some of my loyal readers were expected to write something about the  local elections in Russia. Well, I’ll not do. Because nothing happened out of the ordinary. No changes anything.  So, nothing can be commented.

The success of United Russia party (over 60% of the votes of the population) are based on two aspects: the constant popularity of Prime Minister Putin and the party apparatus (and propaganda) very efficiently. If it add Russian opposition inability to think and act with one voice, it goes without saying that the current elections could not bring anything sensational.

G 20 Pittsburgh Summit and the difference between expectations and achievements

Today G20 leaders will meet for the third time in last year. At Summit in Pittsburgh the main issue on the talk is proposal French President Nicolas Sarkozy, to limit international banking bonuses so that they are proportional to long-term performance. This does not mean that bankers would have to do too much worry. President Obama believes that it wouldn’t be a beneficial measure. So European leaders were forced to accept a compromise to avoid a deadlock of the talks. Faced with multiple internal and external problems, Obama no longer seems providential leader, but bankers on Wall-Street seem strong enough to make the law. “Abroad, Obama remains a rock star, but doubts are beginning to emerge about his ability to turn popularity into policy,” said Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, quoted by Bloomberg.com.

Moreover, leaders of EU countries met on September 17 to agree about the position which will have a summit in Pittsburgh. At the end of the meeting, it was established that the European Union to ask the G20 to establish binding rules for financial institutions for a waiver of remuneration in the financial and banking system, together with the possibility of sanctions at national level. Also, EU leaders will advocate for a central role International Monetary Fund.

Notice: in April 2009, in London, G 20 leaders agreed to waive bonuses (including those obtained by employees who best performance in the bank) and in of November 2008, in Washington, outlined the need to increase the role of IMF and World Bank. Conform The Washington Post: “Since April, the combination of loose monetary policy and stimulus spending has begun to show results in some G-20 nations, including the United States and China, where the downturn appears to be losing steam. But any recovery remains fragile. The G-20 finance ministers and central bankers agreed earlier this month to maintain stimulus spending until a recovery gains more traction”. But is it sufficiently ? Is it possible more ? Business analysts have warned that the reform of the global financial system, however, is moving too slowly.

In addition to the economic crisis, the G20 will discuss climate issues before the Copenhagen meeting in December, which will be set new targets for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. Poor countries expected help from the developed and hopes to get guidance in this respect in Pittsburgh. Today, President Obama and other G 20 leaders are expected to arrive in Pittsburgh  and gather for a leaders-only dinner. Tomorrow, the leaders will attend a plenary session in the morning, followed by a working lunch and another plenary. At the end of the day, representatives from the participating countries will hold press conferences and release a communique outlining the next steps the group will take to deal with the economic crisis.

Incident on the ship-admiral of the Russian Black Sea Fleet

According to news agency Agerpress, earlier this week on board the cruiser Moskva, the ship-admiral of the Russian Black Sea Fleet has been an explosion, followed by a fire.

Russian authorities have avoided (predictably) to publicize the incident. So the first details emerged only yesterday afternoon. Official informations indicating that the incident was  minor and there were no casualties. While unofficial sources claim that following the explosion of a boiler auxiliary, at least 10 people were injured on the cruiser Moskva. Several ambulances of the Russian Fleet in Sevastopol have been mobilized to transport the wounded to hospital of the Russian naval base in the port city in southern Ukraine, conform Interfax.

Georgia turn off “the business” with CIS

Today, Georgia is to the final to leave the Commonwealth of Independent States. Georgia’s decision to leave CIS was taken by the georgian Parliament on 14 August 2008, and four days later the Foreign Ministry informed the Executive Council of the CIS about this decision. A period followed by 12 months for completion of the procedures stipulated by the CIS. It is the first time in the history of political organization, founded in 1992 with former Soviet republics Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, when use is made of this provision to the leave statute of community by a state.

According to officials in Tbilisi, the withdrawal is because: “in August 2008, a member country of the CIS – Russia has declared war to other countries of the CIS States, has occupied territories and it was recognized as independent entities. Meanwhile Georgian authorities expressed their intention to continue working bilaterally with the countries of the CIS, except Russia obviously.