China’s state-sponsored media, China Review News, published an article stating that Russia recently gave its people the impression that it is filled with calm and confidence as a big country; however, Russia can only become a global power if, in the future, it cooperates with China.
The article stated, “Look at the timeline over a longer period. Russia has not yet stepped out of the slow recession that occurred after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Russian economy, which relied on abundant resources, has not had breakthroughs for a long time. Russia has a vast territory and fertile land. It is one of the few countries in the world with large resources. Russia, however, lags far behind developed countries in Europe and America in terms of industrial modernization.
“Putin positioned Russia as a Eurasian country and sought to find a way out from its role as a bridge connecting Asia and Europe. The situation of the Eurasian continent has undergone great changes in the past 20 years. At what speed and in what form China will exert its influence on the Eurasian continent is a major issue that is related to Russia’s national fate.
“President Putin is a realist. The border line between Russia and China is as long as 4,300 kilometers. Judging from the gap in economic strength between the two sides, Russia has been unable to compete with China. What is more, China is the most important buyer of Russian oil and natural gas. In the diplomatic field, in order to compete with the United States, China is an indispensable partner.
“In the future, Russia can only become a global power by cooperating with China. Therefore, cooperation with China is the way for Russia to survive as a Eurasian country.”
Source: China Review News, March 7, 2018
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