Booming Chinese frontier town reveals growing Russian ties – and old divide Manzhouli is thriving as China sucks in Russian raw materials and exports its consumer goods, but mutual distrust persists. Sino-Russian ties have turned this small Inner Mongolian landport into a prosperous trade hub. Now it hopes to benefit from the broader push for closer bilateral ties. China’s premier, Li Keqiang, signed 38 energy, trade and finance agreements in talks with his counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, in Moscow on Monday, including a 150bn yuan (£15bn) currency swap, and is due to meet Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. The Ukrainian crisis has given fresh impetus to efforts to forge a closer relationship, as Russia faces sanctions from the west, while China seeks to boost the economy of its north-eastern provinces and assert itself internationally. The question is whether shared economic interests and political convenience can be transformed into a deeper strategic relationship. In May, the two countries signed a 30-year natural gas agreement worth an estimated $400bn (£237bn), after a decade of negotiations. Linda Jakobson, visiting professor at Sydney University’s US studies centre, said: “I think the deal moving forward was a sign that the countries have decided they need each other. In the short term, I think we will see more of this kind of closer cooperation.” In the long term, however, Jakobson and other analysts point to challenges such as historical mistrust and differing priorities. “I think it’s still very superficial, this rapprochement.” theguardian/world/2014/oct/13/booming-chinese-frontier-town-reveals-growing-russian-ties--age-old-divide
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 23:48:41 +0000
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