Was just reading two interesting articles.
At the same time:
So, basically, Putin maintains a military alliance with China on one side
And not just military; Russia has been relying heavily on Chinese investment since burning so many bridges with the West since 2014, with the sanctions and all.
There are a lot more Chinese tourists now, more Chinese than Westerners visiting Russia now
including the "disputed" Crimea
where, BTW, Chinese investors have signed deals with the government to develop new hotels, golf courses, etc
He and Xi have even awarded cool looking medals to each other
lol
At the same time, Putin has also pursued improving relations with Japan, including new negotiations with the Abe government there on the disputed Kuril islands, I wrote about that plenty before:
http://politicalhotwire.com/world-politics/174471-first-japanese-delegation-kurils.html
http://politicalhotwire.com/world-politics/193892-abe-putin-meeting-kurils-nk-etc.html
And, among other things, Russia's Coast Guard has trained together with Japanese colleagues, to cooperate in their Northern Pacific waters
The two Coast Guards have held such drills regularly since 2001. Who do they cooperate against? Why, Chinese (and North Korean) illegal fishermen and smugglers! lol
Lest we forget, Russia also sells submarines, tanks, jets and other sophisticated weapons to such regional rivals of China as Vietnam
and India
This is a smart strategy by Putin, kinda, not putting all eggs in one basket. But, not sure how long he will be able to keep it up. China will likely keep pressing in the South China Sea, and in disputed areas with Japan, the Senkaku Islands and such. And on Taiwan. Sooner or later, Russia actually will need to pick a side in this mess...
More: China Is Sending Some of Its Most Deadly Bombers and Fighter Jets to Train in RussiaThe Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force will deploy strategic bombers and strategic airlifters in addition to fighter aircraft during a massive military exercise in Russia.
While the International Army Games on July 28 will also include warplanes from Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Iran, Beijing hopes to use the exercise to boost its military ties with Moscow. Russia and China are growing closer together as they form a strategic partnership to counter American dominance of the international order.
“The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force will send H-6K bombers, J-10A fighters, JH-7A fighter-bombers, IL-76 and Y-9 transport aircraft, and a team of airborne troops to Russia to participate in the International Army Games,” the Chinese Ministry of Defense said in a press release which was also released by the official Xinhua new service .
“The International Army Games 2018, initiated by the Russian Ministry of Defense, will start on July 28. It is co-organized by China, Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Iran. It will be the first time that H-6K bombers and Y-9 transport aircraft have gone abroad to take part in military competitions.”
At the same time:
More: RUSSIA WANTS TO BUILD A RAIL BRIDGE TO JAPAN, LINKING TOKYO TO EUROPERussia wants to strike a deal with Japan to build a 28-mile bridge between the two countries that could link Moscow to Tokyo by land and rail.
The project has repeatedly come up in discussions between officials from the two countries. During Russian President Vladimir Putin’s previous term, the Kremlin greatly intensified its outreach to the world’s third biggest economy.
Putin reignited speculation about the long-rumored project last year, when he announced that a land link between Russia and Japan would have “planetary” significance.
“Of course this topic, among other potential Russo-Japanese projects, is being discussed via the inter-governmental commission for trade and economic matters’ channels,” Ambassador Mikhail Galuzin told state news agency RIA Novosti in an interview published on Wednesday. The diplomat said the issue of the bridge also “features” in the dialog Russian companies were having with Japanese enterprises.
As currently planned, the bridge would link the Russian island of Sakhalin with Japan’s northernmost major island of Hokkaido. The line will likely pass over La Pérouse Strait stretching from Russia’s Cape Crillon and Japan’s Cape Soya.
The 28-mile stretch between the two islands is the missing link in a series of construction projects that could allow rail travel from European Russia to Japan’s main island Honshu, where Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Kyoto, Nagoya and other cities are located.
“We hope that this marquee project, unique for Russian-Japanese relations will continue to be the subject of, more than anything, constructive discussions and will eventually be realized,” Galuzin said.
Japan’s Hokkaido is already connected to Honshu via the Seikan Tunnel, which passes under the Tsugaru Strait.
Russia is in the process of constructing an $8 million bridge from its mainland to Sakhalin. Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said in September that the money has already been set aside and work could begin in 2018, state news agency Itar-Tass reported.
The Russian government has previously said the connection, be it by bridge or tunnel, between its own mainland and Sakhalin will be the initial step to a bridge to Japan.
So, basically, Putin maintains a military alliance with China on one side

And not just military; Russia has been relying heavily on Chinese investment since burning so many bridges with the West since 2014, with the sanctions and all.
There are a lot more Chinese tourists now, more Chinese than Westerners visiting Russia now

including the "disputed" Crimea

where, BTW, Chinese investors have signed deals with the government to develop new hotels, golf courses, etc

He and Xi have even awarded cool looking medals to each other


lol
At the same time, Putin has also pursued improving relations with Japan, including new negotiations with the Abe government there on the disputed Kuril islands, I wrote about that plenty before:
http://politicalhotwire.com/world-politics/174471-first-japanese-delegation-kurils.html
http://politicalhotwire.com/world-politics/193892-abe-putin-meeting-kurils-nk-etc.html
And, among other things, Russia's Coast Guard has trained together with Japanese colleagues, to cooperate in their Northern Pacific waters

The two Coast Guards have held such drills regularly since 2001. Who do they cooperate against? Why, Chinese (and North Korean) illegal fishermen and smugglers! lol
Lest we forget, Russia also sells submarines, tanks, jets and other sophisticated weapons to such regional rivals of China as Vietnam

and India

This is a smart strategy by Putin, kinda, not putting all eggs in one basket. But, not sure how long he will be able to keep it up. China will likely keep pressing in the South China Sea, and in disputed areas with Japan, the Senkaku Islands and such. And on Taiwan. Sooner or later, Russia actually will need to pick a side in this mess...