COMMENT Wary of China, Russians look West
By Dmitry Shlapentokh
Like his predecessor Vladimir Putin, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev followed
his taking over the Kremlin, in May, with a visit to China. For some pundits
this raised the specter of a Chinese-Russian alliance as a threat to the West.
This is not the case. The Russian - both elite and popular - approach to China
is often guarded. And as with all flirtation with Chinese and Asian powers,
Russia continues to be West-oriented. My recent visit to Russia confirmed this.
My arrival coincided with Medvedev's landing in China. Russian TV carried his
speech in which he proclaimed that Russia and China were strategic partners,
despite the fact that "someone" might be upset with this. The warm atmosphere
was underscored by
images of Medvedev surrounded by excited Chinese students, some of whom spoke
good Russian.
Still, the comments of the pundits on television were guarded. Some
acknowledged that, although China is indeed ahead of Russia in economic
development, Russia could hardly benefit from close cooperation with China for
most of the niche markets are already taken by Japanese and US companies.
Another observer suggested that Chinese achievements should not be exaggerated.
China may indeed emerge as the premier world power, but only in the distant
future; despite its growth, China has serious problems, such as high inflation.
This emphasis on the down sides of China's growth and general modernization
continued for several days following Medvedev's visit. Television images
focusing on the devastating Chinese earthquake in Sichuan province and Russia's
help was similar to that of the Soviet era - an underdeveloped Third World
country that the generous Soviet people helped. Observations that China did not
have sophisticated equipment like Russia were interwoven with comments on the
totalitarian state, which controls the birth rate though a one-child policy.
Ordinary Russians I met mostly dismissed China as a true economic giant of the
21st century. Some see China as just one among many economic global centers
that, together with Russia, will emerge after the inevitable US downfall. For
others, China is just a producer of low-quality goods, such as poorly made
cars. For those who just see China as an economic force, this is not a problem.
But for those who interweave China's economy with other aspects of the country
- what these Russians perceive as essential traits - they see China as a
threat.
The main reason is one of demographics. Russia's 142 million population is
declining, while China's 1.3 billion-plus is growing. Across Russia, one finds
posters calling for bigger families and radio broadcasts that paint population
decline as a catastrophic development that could lead to Russia's
disintegration.
Russians fear a Chinese spillover into their eastern regions. They acknowledge
that Chinese migrants are very hardworking and they could even transform
Russia's vast tundra into rice paddies. But (white) Russians fear they will be
absorbed into the Chinese multitude.
One of my interlocutors said she believed this was inevitable, and her only
consolation was that by the time it happened she would not be alive.
The Russian view of the Chinese as hardworking and obedient to often ruthless
masters fits the old image of peril from the East that has been historically
associated with the Mongols/Tatars, the only people to have actually conquered
Russia, in the 13th century.
In the late Boris Yeltsin and early Putin era, the image of the Mongols was
recast due to the popularity of "Eurasianism" - the political/philosophical
creed that regards Russians as a unique blend of Orthodox Slavs and Muslims of
mostly Turkic origin. The Mongols were credited with forging this unique
"symbiosis". Now, however, the old image of the Mongols is back, and they are
seen as ruthless conquerors who brought Russia horrific suffering, regardless
of any positive aspects of their rule. These Mongols are often associated with
the Chinese, and Asians in general.
The implication of this lingering fear of the Chinese among the populace, even
when their positive qualities, such as hard work, are acknowledged, is that
Russia continues to be oriented toward the West, especially Europe. This
despite concerns over an advancing North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the
United States' planned missile defense system in Europe.
Russians regard Europe as much closer to them than the people of the East. Many
hope that "Old" Europe - notably Germany and France - will recognize that
economically, militarily and demographically, Russia is essential to them as a
fellow Christian, Caucasian civilization that faces the same pressures from the
East.
Dmitry Shlapentokh, PhD, is associate professor of history, College of
Liberal Arts and Sciences, Indiana University South Bend. He is author of
East Against West: The First Encounter - The Life of Themistocles, 2005.
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