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Russia’s Pivot to Asia: Situational Interest or Strategic Necessity?
Author(s) -
Bratersky Maxim
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
asian politics and policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.193
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 1943-0787
pISSN - 1943-0779
DOI - 10.1111/aspp.12418
Subject(s) - territorial integrity , order (exchange) , independence (probability theory) , power (physics) , politics , political science , ideology , situational ethics , great power , national security , economic power , development economics , political economy , international trade , business , economics , sovereignty , statistics , physics , mathematics , finance , quantum mechanics , law
The pivot to the Asia‐Pacific region is Russia’s strategic response to existential challenges such as the threat of losing great power status, and the need to maintain territorial integrity and independence. This strategy should not be viewed as meant only to ameliorate the economic and demographic situation in the Russian Far East and Eastern Siberia. Instead, it should be interpreted as an opportunity for Russia to break out of the economic, security, and geographic traps she finds herself in within the Western‐dominated international order. The emerging Asia‐Pacific regional order may develop into a new international order that will be more competitive; it will not be dominated by a single power or ideology but will instead rest on multiple centers of power. This order will be more favorable to Russia than the unipolar Atlantic one, helping Russia utilize her comparative advantages in territory, resources, hard power, political organization, and ability to mobilize resources for strategic goals.