... Crucial energy and economic deals have been signed between the two parties—not only within the Eurasian Economic Union.
Lukoil, Gazprom and Rosneft have been deeply involved in the development of oil and gas fields also within the disputed waters of the South China Sea, much at China’s discontent. In 2018, the Russian state oil company, Rosneft, initiated drilling in
the Lan Do “Red Orchid” offshore gas field
. The Chinese Foreign Ministry harshly replied by condemning this act.
The reminiscence of the Cold War has become the foundation for integration ...
... Philippines.
All of this combined made for an unfortunate background for the Russian foreign minister’s statement, as it got mixed up in the crossfire in the war of words between China and the rest of the claimants. Bad timing aside, does this mean Russia is siding with China on the South China Sea?
Though both Moscow and Beijing oppose internationalization of the territorial disputes, they are doing so for different reasons. China wants to be the strongest party in the dispute, preferably one-on-one with any other claimant. For ...
... international order. But Beijing does so much more intelligently than Moscow.
In May this year Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov announced that Russia will participate in joint naval drills with its Asia-Pacific allies (most likely China, among others) in the South China Sea in May 2016. How do you see Russia's potential participation playing into the overall dynamics of the region?
There always has been a Russian naval presence in Asia-Pacific, which Moscow now intends to strengthen. But this will not have a major impact on the overall evolution ...
... and barren islands. However, even if Russia continues to stay out of the problem, which in any case would be the preferred course of action, it still requires a clear explanation as to what all the fuss is about.
AP
Anton Tsvetov:
Is there a role for Russia to play in the South
China Sea?
The territorial disputes over the South China Sea are only partly to do with the oil and gas reserves located under its seabed. Contrary to popular belief, the disputed areas are not especially rich in recoverable reserves. The main mineral resources in the South China Sea can be found ...
... threat
is that China would use a combination of land-based missiles, new island bases, and an expanded PLA Navy to deny American and allied forces access to the South China Sea.
This sounds quite ominous in the abstract but quite silly in the specifics. China closing the South China Sea would be like Russia closing the Bosporus and the Baltic. It would be similar to cutting off your nose to spite your face. Pundits like to
point out
that billions of dollars of world trade pass through the South China Sea every year. They usually don't mention that ...
