Axis of Convenience by Lo, Bobo -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Page Contents Acknowledgments 1 - Cooperation, Ambiguity and Tension

Axis of Convenience The New Geopolitics The Policy Context The Many Faces of Sino-Russian Relations

2 - The Burden of History

Russia’s “Mongol Complex” Mutual Isolation The age of Imperialism “Fraternal” Relations and the Sino-Soviet Split From Tension to Confrontation and Back Gorbachev’s Initiatives The Yeltsin-Jiang Years Great Expectations, Partial Achievements Geopolitics and Instrumentalism Duality and Ambivalence

3 - Strategic Partnership—Image and Reality

Defining Strategic Partnership Sino-Russian “Strategic Partnership” The Russian Agenda The Chinese Agenda Latent Tensions The Myth of Identical Views—the Case of Strategic Stability The Values Gap A Relationship of Tactical Convenience? The Axis of Convenience

4 - The “Yellow Peril”—Engagement in the Russian Far East

The Task Facing Putin Chinese “Illegal Migration” Social and Civilizational Challenges Chinese Policy Russian Attitudes A Failure of Strategy Interregional Trade The Russian Far East and Sino-Russian “Strategic Partnership” An Uncertain Future

5 - “Peaceful Rise” and the Shifting Sino-Russian Balance

The Military Balance Chinese Military Planning Russian Arms Transfers to China China’s “Peaceful Rise” and the Implications for Russia The Economic Balance The Trade Imbalance Asymmetrical Partnership

6 - Cooperation and Competition in Central Asia

The 9/11 Effect—the Russian Perspective The 9/11 Effect—the Chinese Perspective A New Great Game? Competing Agendas—the View from Moscow Chinese Interests, Strategy, and Tactics The Shanghai Cooperation Organization Russia and China in the Sco Strategic Partnership or Emergent Competition?

7 - East Asia—Arena of the Great Powers

“The Cauldron of Civilizations” China’s Emergence Russian Policy toward East Asia Chinese Reactions to Russia’s Asian Policy The Expedient Relationship

8 - The Geopolitics of Energy

Imperfect Complementarities The Role of Energy in Russian Foreign Policy Just Business—Chinese Energy Policy More Problems than Solutions—the ESPO Saga Learning the Lessons Russia between East and West Faking it—Russia as an “Energy Superpower” Growing Asymmetry

9 - The Grand Chessboard Revisited—Russia, China, and the United States

The “Grand Chessboard” Strategic Triangularism—Genesis and Development Triangularism in the Post-Cold War Era The Bankruptcy of Triangularism A New Lease of Life Putin’s Agenda for a Resurgent Russia Beijing’s Globalist Agenda Strategic Balancing Versus Strategic Inclusion The Re-emergence of Strategic Anarchy Evolution of the Grand Chessboard

10 - Conclusion—From “Strategic Partnership” to Strategic Tension

Finding a Middle Way The Axis of Convenience The Future Five Scenarios for the Long Term Final Thoughts

Notes Index Back Cover