Russia, China, and the Far East: Old Geopolitics or a New Peaceful Cooperation?

The future of Russian-Chinese relations remains one of the most obscure issues facing the world at the end of the 20th century. So far, these relations have been rather friendly, and Moscow is seemingly unconcerned about the growing economic disparity between the two countries which evidently favors China. However, outside the Kremlin many politicians and experts express genuine fear about China. They continue to remind the people that, only a few dozen years ago, both nations were on the brink of a nuclear confrontation. The author of this paper muses on whether the old geopolitical conflicts have already left the historical scene, and if the 21st century will witness the cooperation of the two former communist giants with a common border three thousand miles long. Being inclined to believe that geopolitics is still a force to be reckoned with, the author points to the Russian Far East and also to Central Asia where he considers a confrontation between both countries is most probable. The author also discusses how regionalizatiou in Russia and in China can radically change the geopolitical situation in Asia and in the whole world.