 |
| Russia- China Ties( Image courtesy-Xinhua News Agency) |
China, Japan, India and Russia are competing for power in Asia, boosting their military to defend their interests in the region, while China is also attempting to drive the United States out of the western Pacific to secure its territorial claims, according to Philip Stephens, political columnist for the Financial Times.
New partnerships within this dynamic could occur as India swears in its new prime minister, Narendra Modi. According to Stephens, Modi has higher ambitions than his predecessors — to strengthen the nation's power to match China rather than just improve India's economic growth and living standards.
Meanwhile, the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, who also wants his country to be able to withstand China's rise, hopes Modi will choose to visit Japan when he embarks on his first overseas trip as India's new leader. Japan could provide much-needed technology and investment to spur the Indian economy, Stephens said, adding that both countries have territorial disputes with China and both are concerned about the country's increasing military presence in the Indian Ocean.
China's president, Xi Jinping, has sent a clear message to neighboring countries that it will end the US dominance in the western Pacific and "claim tribute" from its neighbors, according to the columnist. Beijing has accused Washington of provoking conflict between China and its neighbors, though Stephens said only China is to blame as its aggressive stance on maritime claims has forced Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines into America's arms.
On May 21, China signed a major natural gas deal with Russia, further strengthening its ties with the country which has been its traditional ally at the UN Security Council. However, Stephens said the relationship between the two powers is not equal given Russia's declining economic growth as well as social and demographic trends.
Russia, Stephens said, views its gas deal with China as a gesture showing the West that it has found an alternative market amid criticism of its involvement in the Ukraine crisis and annexation of Crimea.
Meanwhile, Stephens also claimed that China may follow Russia's footsteps to exert stronger influence in Siberia where Russia's population is declining rapidly but the number of Chinese citizens has been on the rise. Abe has seen it as an opportunity to improve ties with Russia, the columnist added.
He said that despite moves by countries such as China, India and Russia, the US will maintain its spot as the dominant power, though its power will inevitably wane. Asian nations such as Japan and South Korea can thus rely on the country in the near future but they will have to find a way to defend themselves against China's expansion in the long run, Stephens wrote.
Original link to the article: http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?cid=1101&MainCatID=11&id=20140529000007
Comments