Регионы в современном мире: глобализация и Азия. Зарубежное регионоведение
Шрифт:
Among project consequences for Russia we can note the following. The participation in the project “One belt – one road” can lead to the integration of the Russian transport system into the transport and logistics network of the Eurasian region, which will open up opportunities for transit and provision of related logistics services and access to the markets of the region 36 .
Of particular importance within the framework of the project is an interaction of our countries in the field of modernization of poorly developed regions of Siberia and the Far East, which need modern infrastructure and investment. As a concern, we can note a decrease of interest in the TRANS-Siberian and Far Eastern directions. The fact is that the route through Kazakhstan is beneficial for China both in terms of tariff rates and time. At present 10 of the 14 routes China–Russia are passing through Kazakhstan 37 .
36
: “” = The Chinese Ambassador to Russia Li Hui:
37
Where will the Silk Road lead Russia 27.04.2019. URL:(date of access: 16.12.2019).
The second advantage is a strengthening of industrial cooperation between the countries, the possibility of forming production clusters. The third plus of the Russian participation in the project “One belt – one road” is a possibility of pairing the Eurasian economic Union and the «One belt – one road» and turning it into a new center of economic and political development at the global level. However, it is worth noting that China is mainly focused on the development of the bilateral relations with each member of the Union individually.
Lately China is accused of opacity and often enslaving terms of agreements, unfair choice of contractors, failure to meet deadlines, untimely provision of promised loans, construction of «white elephants», and damage to the environment. Thus, according to China Global Energy Finance database in 2018 the share of «coal» projects in the project “One belt – one road” was 42% 38 .
Beijing is also accused of pumping the developing economies involved in the project with loans and debts. The West has even coined a new term – «debt trap diplomacy». In 2019 at the international cooperation forum “One belt – one road” in Beijing the Chinese President promised to become more open to Western investors. China assures the countries that the project has only an economic orientation; however, it is clear for everybody that by increasing economic power the country will gain geopolitical influence 39 .
38
Where will the Silk Road lead Russia 27.04.2019. URL:(date of access: 16.12.2019).
39
International experts positively assessed the results of the forum «One belt and one road» in Beijing 08.05.2019. URL:(date of access: 14.12.2019).
The resume
In summary it can be noted that a feature of the Russian and Chinese cooperation in whole and within the framework of the project “One belt – one road” can be called a high level of institutionalization. The economic process is mainly from the top supporting a high political activity of two countries. The Chinese investors act very carefully, and they prefer to conclude agreements rather than invest.
As practice shows a specificity of the Chinese approach is a long-term investigation of the market в длительных переговорных процессах and long negotiation processes that may end up with zero results. So during the reducing of its investments and withdrawing money from the Russian economy in 2018 and 2019 China refused to finance the pipeline “The force of Siberia”, invest in the construction of the Russia’s largest gas processing plant in the Amur region and considered the high-speed railway the Eurasia which was supposed to connect Beijing, Moscow and Berlin unprofitable. Chinese investment companies are often connected with the government financing therefore their investment decisions in many respects are not always motivated only by financial indicators. In our opinion at present the Russian participation in the project “One belt – one road” has mainly potential advantages and possibilities and real results for the Russian economy are very insignificant.
References
China in the world and regional politics. The history and modernity. Issue XXII /ed. Safronov E. Moscow: Institute of Far Eastern studies, 2017. 400 p. URL:(date of access: 18.12.2019). (in Russian)
China urged to speed up the pairing of the EAEU with the project
Eastern economic forum 2019. URL:(date of access:15.12.2019). (in Russian)
Efremenko D. The conjugation of the Chinese initiative «The Economic belt of the silk road» and the integration project «Eurasian economic Union» in the context of transformations of the modern world // History and modernity. Issue XXIII: annual edition / ed. by Safronov E. Moscow: IDV RAS, 2018. 392 p. (in Russian)
International experts positively assessed the results of the forum «One belt and one road» in Beijing 08.05.2019. URL:(date of access: 14.12.2019). (in Russian)
Manukov S. One belt and one road, the clarification path and the extension zone // EurAsia Daily 03.05.2019. URL:(date of access: 14.12.2019). (in Russian)
The strategy of «The Economic belt of the silk road» and the role of the Shanghai cooperation organization. The materials of the round table / ed. by Matveev V. Moscow: Institute of Far Eastern studies RAS, 2016. 172 p. (in Russian)
Transit with a Chinese accent. 21.12.2017. URL:(date of access: 15.12.2019). (in Russian)
Where will the Silk Road lead Russia 27.04.2019. URL:economics/2019/04/27/pan-ili-propal-kuda-zavedet-rossiju-shelkovyj-put/ (date of access: 16.12.2019). (in Russian)
: “” = The Chinese Ambassador to Russia Li Hui: «The one belt – one road” Initiative opens a new path for the joint development of China and Russia. URL: https:// baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1610935269955576597&wfr=spider&for=pc (date of access: 18.12.2019). (in Chinese)
2. Юго-Восточная и Южная Азия: в поисках ответов на глобальные вызовы
Асеан в «смелом цифровом мире»
На фоне экспертных оценок деятельности АСЕАН и прогнозов вероятных тенденций ее развития отклик Ассоциации на вызовы, порожденные Четвертой промышленной революцией, приобретает исключительно большое значение. Оценивая достижения АСЕАН в «предцифровую» эпоху как основу ее политики по противодействию цифровым вызовам, авторы определяют степень нынешней и перспективной готовности Ассоциации эффективно управляться с ними. Выделяя исследование из числа большого количества работ о влиянии Четвертой промышленной революции на АСЕАН, авторы проводят следующую центральную мысль – основная уязвимость АСЕАН проистекает из взаимного наложения застарелых и нынешних проблем, что обусловило основную причину недостаточной готовности Ассоциации управляться с цифровыми вызовами, а не серьезность этих проблем как таковых. Научная новизна проведенного исследования состоит в выявлении оптимального средства снижения этой уязвимости. Выводы и рекомендации авторов по данному комплексу вопросов определяют научную уникальность исследования.
Ключевые слова: АСЕАН, цифровизация, безопасность, азиатско-тихоокеанское многостороннее сотрудничество, инициатива Пояса и Пути, Индо-Тихоокеанский регион, Россия.