Michael: Russia & China Demand U.S. Get Out of Central Asia
In what is likely the most important overlooked story in recent months the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO, or the Shanghai Five) which includes Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, issued a joint statement demanding the withdrawal of American forces from member countries. This is a surprising and troubling anti-American move that demonstrates a growing accord on security as well as development issues between member countries, especially Russia and China.America has operated major bases in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan since 2001 in support of the Afghani and Iraqi wars and anti-terror operations in the region. The possible loss of these bases is a serious blow to American capabilities in the region. More disturbing than the immediate military impact of this development is the emerging anti-American alignment of the Shanghai Five under Chinese and Russian leadership. This alliance, should it continue to deepen, would represent a pan-Asian power bloc which could become a major economic and military rival in the future.
The deepest irony of such a development is that this is exactly the sort of rival power center which the Neo-Cons' Project for a New American Century was concerned about preventing. Following the doctrinal imperatives of that strategy document led us to war with Iraq, to a policy of unilateral foreign policy, and to a contentious and dictatorial diplomatic stance that has pushed other major powers into in each other's arms in order to counter us. Following PNAC may have helped create in the SCO exactly the rival that its authors feared.
posted by Michael Bryan @ 7/18/2005 06:15:00 PM
3 Comments:
Right. China and Russia together will be our "economic rivals," kinda like the way together George Soros and Bill Gates are my "economic rivals."
In the oncoming depression, people won't be selling apples on Wall Street, they'll be selling Mandarin oranges.
Michael,
You are missing the real question. Why?
Read The Argus for insight on Central Asia. Read me for Russia (and China). It's what we do. :)
I read your posts on Asian affairs, and I didn't see any why beyond the obvious alignment of strategic-economic goals of the major Asian powers. Obviously the additional incentive to overcome native antipathy and suspicion is provided by American military involvement in Central Asia, which angers both powers.
As Fhareed Zacharia pointed out on his last show, the most interesting, and potentially explosive relationship in Asia is that of China and Japan. They just can't stand each other. You should post about the military implaction of a conflict between those states on your blog.
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