U.S., Russia ties key to world peace
http://www.huanqiu.com 来源：新华网 进入论坛 2007-12-27 10:26
BEIJING, Dec. 25 -- The following is the first part of a series on the complexities and trends in international relations over the past year.
In reviewing relations between the major powers in the world in 2006 at the beginning of this year, I wrote that, due to the rapid development of economic globalization, widespread terrorism, and risks of the proliferation of massive destructive weapons, consultation and cooperation among major countries had increased, and shared interests among them had expanded as well.
Today, this is a major factor in the international situation. Despite constant regional hotspots and localized armed conflicts or wars, the overall international situation is relatively good.
However, the core interests of the major countries are different and the structural contradictions between them remain and are not easily resolved. A new potential hotspot in international relations in 2007 that deserves to be mentioned is increasing conflict between the United States and Russia, which, some say, is the beginning of a new "Cold War".
Different people have different views about the increased US-Russia belligerence. But it seems to me the answer lies in who is the initiator of the conflict?
Experts and scholars who studied international relations after the Cold War are all clear that the US and Russia had big expectations of each other. The US hoped Russia would follow in its steps, so it attempted to sow the "seed of democracy" in Russia with a view to making it sprout. At the same time, it squeezed the strategic space of Russia. Russia tried earnestly to take the US as an example, to learn from it.
However, the reality is "Mr America" had been bullying its "student" - Russia, and took it as a "little partner". Boris Yeltsin was well aware of this in the later stages of his presidency.
When Vladimir Putin assumed office, he made it clear that Russia would develop in its own way. Despite the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia remains a superpower in terms of military strength and resources. In this new century, Russia has resumed its status as a major power in the world, so how can it endure attempts by the US to squeeze its strategic space and thwart its core interests?
Of course it cannot. Accordingly, Russia has begun to rise up gradually. It took a lot of measures to fight against military infiltration deployed by the US in its neighboring regions, adopted policies to restrict non-governmental organizations that the US supported, emphasized "sovereign democracy" and demanded establishment of a partnership based on equality with the US.
Normally, the US should have reflected upon this with regard to its relations with Russia, but it remains arrogant and blames Russia.
In May last year, the US Vice-President Dick Cheney accused Russia of backtracking in its democratic development; and of using oil and gas as tools of intimidation or blackmail. This accusation, which had the Russian public in an uproar, led some commentators to believe that Cheney's rhetoric might provoke a second Cold War.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also voiced similar criticisms. In response, Putin launched a first counter attack in June last year at a meeting of ambassadors. He later blasted the US for its unilateralist policies at a conference on security policy in Munich in February this year.
What is more, the conflict between the US and Russia escalated this year as the US attempts to deploy strategic ballistic missiles in Eastern European countries, to which Russia is opposed to, and has taken counter-measures.
Accordingly, reports and comments that the US and Russia might once again become engaged in another Cold War took on some credence.
People who love peace and development in the world are reluctant to see this happening. It is fortunate that both sides have emphasized they would not start another Cold War as times are different and the essence of their conflict are also different.
However, there are still uncertainties as relations between major powers in the world are always changing. The possible development of more conflict between the US and Russia could have a bearing on the future relations of the major powers.
The author is a researcher of international relations based in Beijing
