Saturday, August 11, 2012

Russian Fears On Chinese Expansion

Russia's Medvedev Hints Of Chinese Threat To Far East -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday issued a veiled warning about China's rising influence in Russia's resource-rich Far East, saying it was essential to defend the area against "excessive expansion by bordering states".

Speaking days after Russia's first deputy defense minister said two new nuclear submarines would be sent to the Pacific Fleet, Medvedev also said it was "important not to allow negative manifestations ... including the formation of enclaves made up of foreign citizens."

His comments, some of the strongest on the subject yet, underlined the Kremlin's suspicions that a steady influx of Chinese migrants may ultimately pose a threat to Russian hegemony in the remote and sparsely populated territories of Siberia and the Far East.

Read more ....

My Comment: These concerns are justified. China is having border disputes with all of it's neighbors, and one can only surmise that it will be a matter of time before Russia is addded to the list. On a side note .... Medvedev is touching what has always been a deep historical and psychological fear of China .... my only surprise is that it is him who is saying it, and not Putin.

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