Russia and China: Developmental Models for Eurasia

Russia’s pivot to the East is part of the general movement of the world’s leading powers to Asia, or more precisely, to the East Asian part of Eurasia. In this context, Russia’s turn to the East has two dimensions. First, it has meant that Russia has stepped up its foreign policy activities in the East, in a number of strategic directions: the Middle East and North Africa, the Far East and the Asia–Pacific, and South Asia. Second, Russia renewed its attention to the former Soviet countries, including those in Central Asia, and Kazakhstan. Now, however, this geopolitical area is becoming a centre of attraction for major players in Asia, namely Turkey, India, and especially China, whose global influence continues to grow. In Eurasia, which is becoming increasingly multipolar, Russia’s strategic interests collide with the national interests of other countries, and Moscow thus needs to identify its priorities and develop comprehensive measures to protect them.