-Caveat Lector- << Looking for the 'Weimar' effect to kick in ...>> "" China is looking for a direct way into Europe and is seeking access to the oil resources that the Caspian Sea could provide. "" > www.wsws.org > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > WSWS : News & Analysis : Europe : Russia & the CIS > > Meeting of the "Shanghai Group" in Bishkek: China moves toward Moscow to > strengthen its influence in Central Asia > > By Vladimir Volkov > 2 September 1999 > > Back to screen version > > A summit of the heads of state of the "Shanghai Group" took place recently in > the Kyrgyzstan capital of Bishkek. Members of the group, which met on August > 24-25, included Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The > meeting was an attempt to develop co-operation between Russia and China in > Central Asia, and to create a counterweight to the influence of the West in this > region. > > The crucial role was played by China, which, in contrast to an economically and > politically weakened Russia, wants to act in world politics as an independent > superpower. In Asia, it wants to construct an alternative centre of power that > could challenge both the US and Japan. > > The "Shanghai Group" was formed in 1996 to regulate border disputes between > China and the Confederation of Independent States (CIS). At that time, the five > countries represented in Shanghai signed a declaration of mutual support. One > year later, this was extended by an arms limitation agreement in the border > regions that declared these to be a "minimum militarised" zone, in which only > border troops were to be stationed. > > A special feature of this co-operation was that the four CIS participants > (Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) acted together, although > considerable differences already existed between them. Each of these countries > was trying to develop independent relations with China even then. Bilateral > meetings took place, at which questions of economic co-operation were discussed, > in addition to the border problems. > > At that point, Moscow did not insist on playing the leading role in the > negotiations of the CIS with China. Its weakened influence and the absence at > the previous year's meeting of Boris Yeltsin—who was represented by the > then-Foreign Minister Yevgeni Primakov—were seen in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and > Kyrgyzstan as an indication that Moscow was leaving the negotiations with > Beijing to them. In their search for a stronger and more stable partner, they > increasingly acted without taking the interests of Russia into consideration. > > The changed situation has caused Moscow to seek to win back its abandoned > positions in Central Asia and to establish co-operation with China. > > The motivation for the recent meeting was formulated in quite a rough and direct > form by Yeltsin. On his arrival in Bishkek, still standing on the plane's > gangway, he said he was “fighting fit” and was ready "to take up the battle with > everyone ... particularly with the West ". > > This utterance provoked a flood of comments from those directly around the > president. Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov "elucidated" that one had to understand > Yeltsin's assertion in context; it was aimed against attempts to establish a > uni-polar world. > > "In the world at present, an active fight for the future world order is taking > place, for the construction of a multi-polar world in the interest of all > countries", Ivanov said. "There are attempts to establish a uni-polar world, > however, and Russia has always opposed this and will continue to do so in the > future", he emphasised. > > The “multi-polar world" formed the quintessence of the joint declaration adopted > in Bishkek. In this document, multi-polarity is defined as the tendency of > general development in the modern world, which should provide long-term > stability internationally. > > Yeltsin's thoughtless anti-Western utterances were taken up immediately by the > Russian liberal press. The newspaper Izvestia accused the president of speaking > "inappropriately" and reminded him of the fact that Russia "like never before, > if not dependent on very close relations with the West, must nevertheless rely > on its loyalty, at least". > > "In a uni-polar world", the newspaper continued in the Russian mass media's > unique brand of cynicism, "one can effectively (and, what is important, > harmlessly) fight in the election campaign at meetings of dissatisfied > pensioners. This is what the communist opposition has already successfully done > for many years. But the president ... does not live in an illusory world of > ideological myths. He concerns himself (or in any case he should) with real > politics. But in real politics, each word must be weighed carefully and the > possible consequences measured." > > For Russia, the significance of the meeting in Bishkek rests, above all, on the > fact that Russia is regarded less and less as a serious "player" in this region > and beyond. America, the most important political partner of Russia, is > obviously losing interest in the country's domestic problems. In addition, the > obvious weakness of Russia revealed during the Kosovo War, which can lead to new > debacles in innumerable conflicts, as in the north Caucasus, forces the Kremlin > to seek alternative geopolitical alliances. > > Another important element that forced Yeltsin to undertake the journey is a > fundamental transformation in Russia's domestic equilibrium. The opposition > movement "Fatherland—All Russia" survived a period of persecution by the Kremlin > and is now gaining support. This united electoral bloc was formed at the > beginning of August. In the last two weeks it has conducted successful > congresses in Moscow and the Bashkortostan capital of Ufa. The political weight > of the bloc increased further with the entry of former Prime Minister Yevgeni > Primakov. As a result, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov explained he would be ready to > support Primakov's candidacy in the Russian presidential elections next year. > > All attempts to forge a serious counterweight to this alliance from the > different pro-Kremlin organisations have failed. Furthermore, it has not been > possible to undermine the financial base of the Luzhkov alliance, or prevent its > participation in the coming parliamentary elections. > > Under these conditions, Yeltsin's only option is to make contact with the > Primakov-Luzhkov group. If they were to guarantee his personal security—and > there is no reason why they should not do so, as they have done so in the > past—and Yeltsin could detach himself from the shady figures who have repeatedly > brought him into conflict with the nomenklatura oligarchs, he might be able to > fashion a compromise with the Primakov-Luzhkov bloc. > > If Yeltsin were to solidarise himself with the moderate anti-Western policy of > Primakov, an "honourary role" (as with former CP general secretaries) could > probably be found for him. He could figure as a representative of Russia abroad, > or as "peacemaker". It is from this perspective that Yeltsin's main initiative > in Bishkek must also be seen—the creation of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in > Central Asia. > > Moreover, one must bear in mind the fact that China has caused great envy among > broad sections of the new dominant class in Russia. In the example of China they > see opportunities for Russia that were missed from the very outset. There were > lost opportunities for Russia to maintain a more independent road in relation to > the West, and to preserve the "traditional" forms of political suppression, > i.e., elements of the totalitarian Stalinist regime. > > For their part, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan are also interested in the > development of relations with China. They are all confronted with serious > domestic problems and are situated directly in the unstable Central Asiatic > belt. With their participation in the "Shanghai Group" they are seeking to be > pulled along by the Chinese economic locomotive, and, at the same time, to > increasingly free themselves from Russian dependency. > > As for China, its principal aim lies in the revival of the transcontinental > corridor along the path of the former “Silk Route”. China is looking for a > direct way into Europe and is seeking access to the oil resources that the > Caspian Sea could provide. > > A whole series of projects moving in this direction have already been > implemented. In addition, tensions with America have continued to rise following > the bombardment of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. This not only caused sharp > reactions from within official circles in Beijing, but gave rise to spontaneous > mass protests in many cities. > > As with all the other participants, the Chinese side appeared content with the > results of the summit. Besides purely economic arrangements, the recent > agreements have increased security along the Chinese border. Apart from its > proximity to Afghanistan, China is confronted with a separatist movement in the > Xinjiang region, situated in the northwest of the country. The path of the Silk > Route runs precisely through this region. Chinese President Jiang Zemin, who > participated in the summit, explained that the experiences of the "Shanghai > Group" might also be used to resolve border conflicts in other regions of the > country. > > A typical example of the constant border conflicts within the region was the > attack on the southern region of Kyrgyzstan by Islamic fighters, who penetrated > the country from Tajikistan, occupying several areas and taking almost 100 > hostages. As the guerrilla leaders explained, their principal aim is to entangle > Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan in a conflict. > > The commander of Russia's federal border troops, Konstantin Totzki, who > accompanied Yeltsin to Bishkek, said Moscow was ready to lend Kyrgyzstan > military support. > > The participants at the Bishkek conference repeatedly said that the results of > the meeting should not be interpreted as signalling a confrontation with the > rest of the world, and stressed the open character of their co-operation. On the > eve of the meeting, Boris Yeltsin told the Slovo Kyrgyzstana newspaper that > neither Russia nor China regarded "its strategic partnership as an alliance that > is directed against other states”. Kyrgyzstan Foreign Minister Muratbek > Imanaliyev explained at the end of the conference that "the 'Shanghai Group' > does not want to create a bloc, forum or alliance". > > The objective significance of the Bishkek summit lies in the search for > alternatives to Western influence in Central Asia. Izvestia gave the meeting > "top marks" and wrote: "This time, Moscow and Beijing have practically declared > an end to the strategic tripartite alliance, under which the USA stood closer to > Moscow and Beijing than these two countries did to each other". > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Copyright 1998-99 > World Socialist Web Site > All rights reserved > > At this site, you can see the realationship between all the countries named in the article above: http://mahogany.lib.utexas.edu:1000/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/commonwealth/Caucasu s_Cntrl_Asia_pol_95.jpg A<>E<>R ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. -Marcel Proust + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + "Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your common sense." --Buddha + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + A merely fallen enemy may rise again, but the reconciled one is truly vanquished. -Johann Christoph Schiller, German Writer (1759-1805) + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly. -Bertrand Russell + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + "Everyone has the right...to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." 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