China proposes security alliance to counter U.S. influence

[Vikrant]

Russia joining China is a major game changer. This union if solidifies has serious geopolitical implications for the US. I personally think that the US should have done more to prevent this union by keeping Russia in the US camp.

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SHANGHAI – China’s president called Tuesday for the creation of a new Asian structure for security cooperation based on a regional group that includes Russia and Iran and excludes the U.S.

President Xi Jinping spoke at a meeting in Shanghai of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building measures in Asia (CICA), an obscure group that has taken on significance as Beijing tries to extend its influence and limit the role of the United States.

“We need to innovate our security cooperation (and) establish new regional security cooperation architecture,” said Xi, speaking to a group of leaders that included Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Xi made no mention of Beijing’s conflict with Vietnam over the deployment of a Chinese oil rig in a disputed portion of the South China Sea.

CICA, whose 24 member nations also include Korea, Thailand and Turkey, should become a “security dialogue and cooperation platform” and should “establish a defense consultation mechanism,” Xi said. He said it should create a “security response center” for major emergencies.

The proposal is the latest effort by Beijing to build up groups of Asian or developing governments to offset the influence of the U.S. and other Western governments in global affairs.

In 2001, it founded the Shanghai Cooperation Organization with Russia and four Central Asia nations to counterbalance rising American influence in the region and to combat Islamic and separatist political movements.

Beijing sees common cause with other CICA members such as Russia and Sri Lanka in promoting a political model that pairs autocratic government with a market-oriented economy in defiance of the Western liberal democratic model. Japan, seen by Beijing as a strategic rival, is an observer.

The group is unlikely to produce a real security alliance, said Ross Babbage, chairman of Australia’s Kokoda Foundation, a security think tank.

“Alliances are not based on a piece of paper. They’re the result of real trust and interaction,” he said. “There may be some agreements ahead, but in reality, I don’t see an alliance emerging.”

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/20...-alliance-counter-u-s-influence/#.U36wn9JdVO1

 

[bianco]

Russia to supply China with gas at below cost, reoportedly to get China and Iran onside so Putin can take over Europe without obstacle?
First Crimea, then Ukraine, Poland etc?

Bonnie Prince Charlie seems to be very wise;

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-27515086

Remarks attributed to the Prince of Wales likening Vladimir Putin's actions to some of those of the Nazis are "outrageous", the Russian embassy says.

Deputy ambassador Alexander Kramarenko has met Foreign Office officials to ask for official clarification.

The alleged comments were made during a conversation with a former Polish war refugee during a royal tour to Canada.

A Russian foreign ministry spokesman said "the remarks did the prince no credit, if he really said this".

 

[Indofred]

I seem to recall the G8 becoming the G7.
Russia was excluded so, as you'd expect, they looked at other partners.

Europe may well get a shock next winter if they carry on being daft.
The gas taps may well get turned off without warning.

 

[bianco]

I seem to recall the G8 becoming the G7.
Russia was excluded so, as you'd expect, they looked at other partners.

Europe may well get a shock next winter if they carry on being daft.
The gas taps may well get turned off without warning.

No worries, Europeans are tough.

Polish PM calls for EU energy union to end dependence on Russian gas | Reuters

Polish PM calls for EU energy union to end dependence on Russian gas


(Reuters) - The European Union must create an energy union to secure its gas supply because the current dependence on Russian energy makes Europe weak, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote in an article in the Financial Times.

 

[bianco]

I seem to recall the G8 becoming the G7.
Russia was excluded so, as you'd expect, they looked at other partners.

Europe may well get a shock next winter if they carry on being daft.
The gas taps may well get turned off without warning.

Yes, and the EU might just turn off the trade taps to Russia;

Trade | Russian Mission

The European Union is the leading trade partner of the Russian Federation. EU Мember States account for about 50 per cent of the total Russian exports and imports. For instance, over the past decade EU-Russia turnover in goods tripled and by the year 2012 reached 336.5 billion euros. The volume of Russia’s goods exports to the European Union increased 3.5 times and grew from 64.5 billion euros in 2002 to 213.3 billion euros in 2012. Over the same period Russian imports of goods from the European Union rose from 34.4 billion euros to 123.2 billion euros, i.e. 3.5 times.

 

[Vikrant]

I seem to recall the G8 becoming the G7.
Russia was excluded so, as you'd expect, they looked at other partners.

Europe may well get a shock next winter if they carry on being daft.
The gas taps may well get turned off without warning.

After the collapse of Soviet Union, we saw a period of time which could be described as uni-polar world. There was no other country left that was in a position to offer an alternative alliance to what was being offered by the US through NATO and other treaties. It is interesting to note that China has started to feel that it is in a position to fill that vacuum. Even though looking at the military industrial complex of Russia may suggest that it would be Russia who would step up to the plate. But Russia's main problem is its small population which is not enough to act as a center of gravity for any meaningful alliance. China on the other hand has a population of over one billion people, which is more than enough to act as a center for any military alliance but China lacks the kind of military industrial complex that is necessary to pose a challenge to the US. As you can see, if China and Russia unite, they can complement each other. Therefore it becomes very important for the US to ensure that this union does not happen. That is why it was important to keep Russia in the US camp.

China has seized up on this opportunity. It has invited Russia to join China to begin formation of a global alliance. It seems like Russia has no other option but to join China. If major countries taking the Russian lead start to join this camp, it will seriously complicate the things for the US.

This I think will be a major challenge for the US foreign policy pundits in upcoming years.