The Growing Ties of China and Russia: Danger If They’re Joined Against the US

Published in Kyoto Shimbun
(Japan) on 29 June 2016
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Stephanie Chiu. Edited by Helaine Schweitzer.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin just held talks in Beijing. These heads of the state met constantly for two days in Uzbekistan before the Beijing meeting. Putin has stated they’re “taking [their] cooperation forward,” as if they’re going on their honeymoon.

In their meeting, they discussed the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, as well as the issue of North Korea and the situation in Syria. They also signed off on collaborating in more than 30 areas, including energy and infrastructure.

A prominent trend running throughout the entire discussion was their opposition to international organizations that bear the U.S. at their core. Xi stated that for international disputes and regional problems, China “oppose[s] the use of force and threats of using force, the casual introduction of sanctions and threats of sanctions, and a unilateral policy and unilateral actions without consent from the parties concerned.” This is both a clear attempt to restrain Japanese-American interference in their territorial dispute with the Philippines and other countries over regions in the South China Sea, and also constitutes criticism of the economic sanctions put on Russia by Europe and America because of the Ukraine crisis.

Both leaders are profit-minded, meaning that they stand on mutual ground and will declare their support for one another even on territorial problems. With China and Russia clearly trying to take control of the Spratly Islands and the Crimean Peninsula respectively, I cannot help but feel they are threats.

Both countries have also been growing close to Iran, which is markedly anti-American. Putin even declared last November that he would provide Iran with $50 billion. Then this January, Xi visited Tehran and agreed to construct high-speed rails to Iran.

After the end of the Cold War, America was the only remaining superpower, and assumed responsibility as the “world’s policeman.” However, China has rapidly gained economic and military strength. The U.S. is no longer guaranteed a place at the heart of international organizations.

In China and Russia’s joint declaration, there is a passage that reads, “as victors of World War II, [they] will make sure to guard that outcome, and oppose any acts that deny or otherwise distort history.” Most likely, through this historical reference China and Russia are trying to keep Japan’s right wing in check, while also declaring they will not concede on the Kuril Islands territorial dispute.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe intends to keep talking to Putin about the Northern Territories and place his hopes on diplomatic negotiations, but in the face of the reality that is the Sino-Russian alliance, that’s simply a pipe dream. It’s clear that Russia, which has fallen into economic depression due to dwindling prices on resources, is trying to use the territorial dispute as bait to sell natural gas to Japan. Isn’t it time to reconsider our current diplomatic actions toward Russia?

The growing ties between China and Russia, countries which are also involved with anti-American countries such as Iran, have thrown current U.S.-focused international organizations into instability. And if the strength of the U.S., the pillar of support, decreases, there is a worrisome possibility that strife and ethnic conflict will become more frequent.

This coming autumn, the Group of 20 leading rich and developing nations will meet in Hangzhou, China, and the China-Japan-Korea trilateral summit will meet in Japan. At that time, the international community must promise to warn against regional hegemony.


中ロ接近  「反米」共闘なら危うい

 中国の習近平国家主席とロシアのプーチン大統領が北京で会談した。両首脳はその2日前にウズベキスタンで会ったばかり。プーチン氏は「今後も緊密な共同歩調をとる」と、蜜月ぶりを演出した。
 会談では、英国の欧州連合(EU)離脱への対応のほか、北朝鮮問題、シリア情勢などを議論し、エネルギーやインフラなど30分野以上の協力文書に署名したという。
 全体を通して際立ったのが米国中心の国際秩序への反発だ。習氏は「国際問題や地域紛争で力の行使や武力威嚇、制裁、当事国の同意を得ない一方的な行動に反対する」と述べ、フィリピンなどと領有権を争う南シナ海問題に日米が介入するのをけん制する一方、ウクライナ危機で欧米が発動した対ロ経済制裁を批判した。
 両氏は「核心的利益」すなわち領土問題でも互いの立場に支持を表明した。「力の行使」による南沙諸島やクリミア半島の支配を既成事実化しようとする中ロの共闘には脅威を感じざるをえない。
 中ロは反米を掲げるイランとも接近している。プーチン氏は昨年11月、50億ドルの支援を表明。習氏は今年1月、テヘランを訪ねて高速鉄道整備で合意した。
 米ソ冷戦の終結後、米国は唯一の超大国として「世界の警察官」を任じてきた。しかし、中国が経済的・軍事的に急速に力をつけ、国際秩序は必ずしも米国中心ではなくなりつつある。
 共同声明には「中ロは第2次世界大戦の戦勝国として、その成果をしっかりと守り、歴史を否定またはゆがめようとする動きに反対する」との一節もある。歴史認識について日本の右派をけん制しつつ、北方四島など領土問題では譲歩しないという意思表示だろう。
 安倍晋三首相はプーチン氏と会談を重ねて北方領土を外交交渉に乗せたい意向だが、中ロ共闘の現実を目の当たりにすると夢物語に思える。資源価格の下落で経済不振のロシアが、領土問題を「餌」に天然ガスを日本に売り込もうとしているのは明らかだ。対ロ外交のあり方を考え直す時期ではないか。
 イランなど反米国を巻き込んだ中ロの接近は、いや応なく米国中心の今の国際秩序を不安定にしてしまう。米国という「抑え役」の力が低下すれば、各地で紛争や民族対立が頻発する恐れもある。
 今秋、20カ国・地域(G20)首脳会合が中国・杭州で、日中韓首脳会談が日本で開かれる。そうした場で、国際社会が結束して覇権主義にくぎを刺さねばならない。
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