Putin's recent diplomatic moves have attracted a lot of attention, especially his trip to the Middle East. This series of high-profile diplomatic activities is crucial to Russia's long-term strategic development. Putin visited the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Iran one after another, and escorted him with four Su-35S fighter jets, demonstrating Russia's important position and influence in the Middle East. The high degree of secrecy and suddenness of these diplomatic actions shows that Russia has a clear view of its national strategic direction.
To understand why Putin is visiting the Middle East at this time, first we need to pay attention to another important news: according to the latest data released by the General Administration of Customs of China, as of November this year, the total amount of China and Russia has reached a record high of 218.1 billion US dollars. This figure makes us happy, but it is also necessary to recognize that the rapid growth of China and Russia** may cause some concerns in Russia.
As an energy powerhouse, Russia is relatively less dependent on energy exports, because there are many countries in the international market that can buy Russian oil and gas. However, Russia's import problem is more serious, and Russia has to rely on imports because its own production cannot meet demand. In the past, Russia was able to buy related products from countries such as India, in addition to China, and although the quality may vary, there is no big problem. However, recently India has imposed some restrictive measures against Russia, which has led to the shortage of ** in some key areas. Therefore, China became the only option for Russia.
The growth of China and Russia** and the increase in local currency settlements have made Russia extremely dependent on China economically, which is a huge hidden danger for Russia, as the world's second largest military power. From Putin's point of view, he has to think about whether Russia will become more and more dependent on China. In geopolitical competition, the rivalry between China and Russia as neighbors is inevitable, and this competition will become even more intense due to the size of the two countries. Although China and Russia may join forces in the process of confronting the United States, in the long run, competition and confrontation between China and Russia are inevitable.
Therefore, Putin must take the initiative to seek a way out elsewhere, re-establish Russia's international influence, balance the forces between China and Russia, and find his own space for development. Putin's trip to the Middle East this time is not only an action against the United States, but also to find a way out for Sino-Russian relations. Ignoring the competition and antagonism between China and Russia and only seeing the cooperation between the two sides is not in line with the actual situation. Only when China and Russia can treat each other as equals and sit on an equal footing in the political, diplomatic, and military spheres can we truly achieve win-win cooperation. We must recognize that.
Sino-Russian relations are both cooperative and competitive. Both China and Russia have an important position and influence in geopolitics, and their core interests also conflict to a certain extent. As far as the long-term goals of China and Russia are concerned, Russia hopes to achieve reconciliation with Northwest Europe and form an economic community, which is the most favorable direction for Russia's development. China's core interests lie in the Indochina Peninsula and the Asia-Pacific region, with the desire to reverse the national direction of countries such as Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and the Philippines. In the long run, the two countries are competing and antagonistic on a number of key issues.
There is a realistic basis for Putin's concern about Russia's over-dependence on China. Although the current cooperative relationship between China and Russia is very close, especially on the issue of confrontation with the United States, Putin must remain vigilant to prevent Russia from becoming a vassal of China. Russia is a country with the world's second-largest military power, and in order to safeguard its national interests, it must ensure that China and Russia are on an equal footing politically, diplomatically, and militarily.
Only when China and Russia can respect each other and treat each other as equals can we achieve true win-win cooperation. Russia must maintain its independence and international influence, and balance Sino-Russian relations through exchanges and cooperation with other countries. This is also beneficial to China, and only when Sino-Russian relations can achieve equality and harmony can the common development of the two countries be truly promoted.
In the face of the rapid development of Sino-Russian relations, we must analyze them objectively and think rationally. As neighboring countries, the development of relations between China and Russia presents both opportunities for cooperation and challenges for competition. In the current international situation, China and Russia have joined forces to confront the United States, the importance of cooperation has been magnified, and some competition and confrontation have been concealed. However, in the long run, there are some structural problems in China-Russia relations, which require us to keep our eyes open and look at them from a comprehensive and objective perspective.
First, we should recognize that competition in Sino-Russian relations is inevitable. As neighbors with large size and significant influence, China and Russia have a certain degree of geopolitical, economic, and military competition. Russia is crucial to safeguarding its own national interests, while China also has its own core interests and development goals. Only a cooperative relationship that treats each other as equals and sits on an equal footing can truly achieve the common development of both sides.
Second, we should see that there is a foundation and potential for cooperation in Sino-Russian relations. China and Russia have extensive cooperation on economic, energy, and some major international and regional issues. At present, the total amount of China and Russia** has reached a record high, and the increase in local currency settlements between the two sides is also conducive to the stable development of economic cooperation. The close cooperation between the two sides in international affairs also demonstrates their strategic coordination and mutual trust.
Finally, we need to identify the real challenges and areas of further cooperation in the relationship between China and Russia. There are still gaps between China and Russia in some key areas, such as science and technology, high-end manufacturing, finance, etc., which need to be further cooperated and upgraded. The two sides can enhance mutual trust by strengthening cooperation in areas such as innovation cooperation, promoting people-to-people exchanges, and strengthening educational cooperation.
In short, the view of Sino-Russian relations should see both opportunities for cooperation and challenges for competition. The two sides should work together to promote the development of China-Russia relations in a more stable, balanced and healthy direction on the basis of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit. With regard to the current development of Sino-Russian relations, we should maintain a sober and objective attitude in order to promote the common prosperity and peaceful stability of the two countries.