All quiet on the eastern front

The major improvement began in 1985, when Mikhail Gorbachev became the Russian leader. He needed money to reform the country and so he needed to reduce its military commitments. He unilaterally removed some of the forces. Then in 1990, the Soviet Union collapsed. Rather than a massive Soviet invasion, the Chinese were now more worried about US intervention in support of Taiwanese independence on the other side of China.

Russia wants to develop Siberia and its Far East region. This is Russia’s new frontier. Siberia floats on an ocean of gas. The natural gas fields in Siberia are probably the world’s largest. That far end of Russia is also a treasure house of other raw materials: 60 per cent of the country’s timber, 60 per cent of its coal, and 80 per cent of its water. Gas is called “blue gold”, fur is “soft gold”, coal is “black gold” and salmon “red gold”.

But Russia cannot get the wealth by its own means. It is not technologically advanced enough. For example, the ground is frozen to resemble concrete 1,000 feet deep for most of the year. During the summer months the top five feet may thaw and so some vegetables can be grown.

Building foundations are installed by thawing the ground by steam, inserting the foundations and letting the ground refreeze. Grave digging is impossible; cremation is the only way to dispose of bodies.

Therefore to cope with all these mining and drilling challenges, Russia needs foreign investment and expertise. These interests need to be reassured there will be no war between Russia and China.

Meanwhile, China also wants more foreign investment and expertise and so it also has an interest in avoiding a war with Russia. A threat of war reduces the chances of foreign investment. China is on an international charm offensive to show that it is a safe and stable country with which to do business.

Therefore a thirst for international investment and trade is encouraging an outbreak of peace between Russia and China. In late 2005, the two countries carried out their first joint military exercises, involving 10,000 personnel. In March 2006 their leaders discussed how China could buy Russian oil. Marxist dogma is a thing of the past.