Putin to expand strategic partnership with China

[hedgetrimmer]

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By Sergei Blagov

MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin, certain of re-election to a second term, evidently intends to expand Russia's strategic ties with China in military sales and economic cooperation between the two Asian giants. Still, some divisive issues remain, such as the likely awarding of a major Siberian oil pipeline to Tokyo, not Beijing. The United States is watching closely and warily as the former communist allies forge powerful new ties in Asia and view Washington as a potential menace.

In Sunday's election, Putin is expected to sweep to a second four-year term and move ahead briskly with improving ties between Moscow and Beijing.

Once China and Russia were closely allied, but later the Sino-Soviet split opened and the United States took advantage of the bitter division to forge new diplomatic relations with China, sidelining the Soviets. Now the situation is very different, as both Russia and China espouse capitalism and have resolved many of their differences in the face of what they perceive to be a common rival - the US.

Last month, the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) said the United States might anticipate potential problems with both China and Russia, although the US currently has good relations with the two countries. The US effort to seek bases in Central Asia - strategically important to both Moscow and Beijing - is one of many causes of concern, as well as US unilateralism in its foreign policy.

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link: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/FC12Ag01.html