A New World Order? Putin And Xi Put Friendship On Display
May 11, 2015
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At
first sight, things look very different now. When President Xi Jinping
of China took pride of place next to Vladimir Putin of Russia on
Saturday, they looked like any other modern world leaders: pragmatic
men-in-suits, full of smiles, temporary possessors of power rather than
dictators-for-life.
Back
in 1949, when Chairman Mao Tse-tung paid his first visit to Moscow to
celebrate Comrade Joseph Stalin's 70th Birthday, it was a paean of
old-school Communism.
Children
in Young Pioneer uniforms paraded through the Bolshoi Opera House
telling of their ambition to become tractor drivers. Mao wore a "Mao
suit" and Stalin military uniform. Both men looked grumpy.
But the two events, six decades apart, have a clear parallel. Once again, the Russia-China axis is the main threat to the West's vision of peaceful and prosperous international relations.
But the two events, six decades apart, have a clear parallel. Once again, the Russia-China axis is the main threat to the West's vision of peaceful and prosperous international relations.
The
line-up of leaders alongside the two men was a walking representation
of a new anti-American alliance that has formed bit by bit since the
invasion of Iraq demonstrated the frightening ease with which Washington
could destroy hostile leaders far away.
Alongside
Mr Xi were Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Raúl Castro of Cuba, Nicolas
Maduro of Venezuela: standouts against what Mr Putin called a unipolar
world, his code phrase for the spread of western-style democracy.
In
itself, there isn't much new to this. China has been railing against a
"unipolar world" for a decade. Mr Putin and his allies all have their
reasons for disliking the
West's tendency to set a high store on open elections, a free press and "cooperative" foreign policies.
What is stark is that Russia and China are now openly stating their intention to stand together to lead such an alliance.
The
history is a patchy one. In 1949, Mao felt snubbed by Stalin, who
regarded him as just another leader of a Soviet-backed Communist
satellite rather than an equal.
Mao's
subsequent falling-out with Stalin's successors led to the US-China
rapprochement following President Richard Nixon's visit to Beijing in
1972. The new détente helped defeat the Soviet Union in the Cold War.
Twenty
years ago, when both Presidents Bill Clinton and Jiang Zemin of China
stood alongside Boris Yeltsin at the 1995 Moscow Victory Day parade, the
power relations were self-evident.
A
self-confident America knew that Russia was no longer a threat, while
China was dependent for its economic growth on American spending power
and investment.
Yesterday in Moscow there was no America – something Washington may come to regret – and there was no doubt whose smile was most confident.
Yesterday in Moscow there was no America – something Washington may come to regret – and there was no doubt whose smile was most confident.
Mr
Xi finds himself in a diplomatic sweet spot. It is Mr Putin who gets
the flak for standing up to Nato in Ukraine, for supporting the Assad
regime in Syria, for threatening to sell air defence systems to Iran.
But it is China who is the ultimate winner, as America's attention is diverted from Beijing's expansion across the South China Sea.
But it is China who is the ultimate winner, as America's attention is diverted from Beijing's expansion across the South China Sea.
China
is openly developing a naval strategy aimed at challenging American
dominance of the western Pacific, including in the waters around Japan
and Taiwan.
Unlike Chairman Mao, Mr Xi is happy to be seen to play second fiddle on the podium in Moscow. With China now the rising power, he has no doubt as to where the balance of power will lie between China and Russia in years to come. Shows of Russian strength like yesterday's serve his interests, as much as Mr Putin's.
Unlike Chairman Mao, Mr Xi is happy to be seen to play second fiddle on the podium in Moscow. With China now the rising power, he has no doubt as to where the balance of power will lie between China and Russia in years to come. Shows of Russian strength like yesterday's serve his interests, as much as Mr Putin's.
Read more at http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/2015/May11/111.html#pXVuiYzQDiDEdmkO.99
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