MOSCOW (AFP) — Russia's new President Dmitry Medvedev travels to powerful neighbour China this week in the centrepiece of his first trip abroad since taking office.
The 42-year-old president, who took office in place of Vladimir Putin on May 7, will visit energy-rich ex-Soviet Kazakhstan on Thursday before travelling to Beijing on Friday, the Kremlin said.
Analysts doubt China and Russia will hammer out specific deals during Medvedev's symbolic maiden voyage as president -- China has for example long wanted a Russian commitment to extend a far eastern oil pipeline to its territory.
But the visit underscores that today Russia takes account of its populous and resource-hungry neighbour in numerous spheres -- a major change for a country used to measuring itself against the West.
"This is a signal that Russia has other friends, not only the West," said analyst Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of the journal Russia in Global Affairs.
Another analyst, Yevgeny Volk, of the US Heritage Foundation's Moscow office, said that "these destinations reflect the new priorities of Russia's foreign policy, while relations with the United States and the European Union are cooling."
With its huge population and appetite for natural resources, China looms large for Russia, both as a friend and -- though they tend not to admit it -- as a rival.
China is a welcome consumer of Russian resources such as metals and oil, but is also vying for influence in energy-rich Central Asian states such as Kazakhstan, which were Moscow's exclusive preserve in Soviet times.
While most Russian energy exports still go to Europe, China has been pursuing its own pipeline projects in Central Asia and an oil pipeline already runs from Kazakhstan, symbolising a loss of control for Moscow.
Nonetheless as it battles what it views as Western expansionism on its western borders, Russia has sought to make friends with China.
At the United Nations, Russia and China have been coordinating their positions on controversial issues such as Iran's nuclear programme and Kosovan independence.
Russia has also refused to join international criticism of China's human rights record in the run-up to this summer's Beijing Olympics. It was one of the first countries permitted by Beijing to send rescue workers to help the ongoing earthquake relief effort in China.
And in the security sphere the two countries are increasingly cooperating through the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Comprised of China, Russia and four Central Asian states, this organisation focuses on defence and counter-terrorism but is expanding into economic cooperation.
Some analysts detect an anti-Western agenda in its activities, particularly as it has given Iran observer status at its meetings.
Since taking office, Medvedev has refrained from openly assailing US global dominance in the style of his mentor and predecessor Putin, who remains highly influential in the prime minister's post.
But this week's visit subtly underscores Russia's readiness to shrug off Western criticism by giving pride of place to a country that is also criticised on issues such as democracy, human rights and media freedom.
"Russia is turning more and more to the countries of the East, which unlike Western countries don't criticise Moscow for a lack of democracy and support the idea of a multi-polar world," said Volk.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
