Russia's new 'pivot to Asia' increases the global significance of Russia's Siberia and Far East. The contributors - recognized experts from Russia, China, South Korea, Japan, Norway and Singapore - analyze political, economic, social and geostrategic roadblocks in the Russia/Asia Pacific relations, offering directions for further development.
This book is open access under a CC BY license. This book explores if and how Russian policies towards the Far East region of the country – and East Asia more broadly – have changed since the onset of the Ukraine crisis and Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Following the 2014 annexation and the subsequent enactment of a sanctions regime against the country, the Kremlin has emphasized the eastern vector in its external relations. But to what extent has Russia’s 'pivot to the East' intensified or changed in nature – domestically and internationally – since the onset of the current crisis in relations with the West? Rather than taking the declared 'pivot' as a fact and exploring the consequences of it, the contributors to this volume explore whether a pivot has indeed happened or if what we see today is the continuation of longer-duration trends, concerns and ambitions.
Politics and Economics in the Russian Far East addresses the key issue of what the Russian Far East and its Northeast Asian neighbours can do to further closen economic and co-operative relationships. The question of to what extent the state should intervene to stimulate economic growth in the Russian Far East is covered, as are the options for a more laissez-faire approach. The possibilities for economic co-operation with the more successful market economies of the region are discussed as are the problems and opportunities presented by the exploitation of Russia's vast natural resources. This book will be essential reading for all those wishing to obtain a deeper understanding of the complexity of the issues involved in the development of co-operative relationships between Russia and its Asia-Pacific neighbours.
This major study assesses prospects for economic recovery in the Russian Far East, evaluating foreign trade and investment, political and economic forces, patterns of resource supply and needs in Pacific Asia, and potential competitors. It concludes that this unfulfilled potential has as much to do with conditions in Russia as the downturn caused by the Asian crisis.
The Russian government in Putin's third term, in addition to establishing the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East in May 2012 directly after the presidential inauguration, is preparing a national program for the “Socio-Economic Development of the Far East and the Baikal region until 2025. The economic factors play a critical role in this unprecedented interest of developing the Far East and the Baikal region. These regions, due to their geographical location, will be directly affected by the economic growth and integration of the rising Asia-Pacific region. Despite economic crisis, the Asia-Pacific region has been growing consistently, accounting for about 53 percent of world GDP and 44 percent of global trade. At the meeting with heads of diplomatic missions on July 9, 2012, Putin stated that Russia's active participation in the process of Asia-Pacific integration will boost socioeconomic growth in Siberia and the Far East, and emphasized the linkage between Asian-Pacific economic cooperation and the development in the Far East. In the dimension of “the peaceful cooperation structure in Northeast Asia and expansion cooperation with Eurasia,” one of the Korean government's policy goals, the Russia's Far Eastern region is geographical links for promoting Northern Triangle cooperation among South Korea, North Korea and Russia. The Russian government's Far East development plan should be considered as a crucial factor for Korea's securement of new sources of economic growth, through its expansion into emerging markets. Accordingly it is highly necessary to analyze, based on the socioeconomic situation in the Russian Far East and the Baikal region, the Putin administration's concepts and plans for Far East development. And it is also required to seek ways to facilitate cooperation between Korea and Russia.
This thought-provoking book, edited by Jing Huang and Alexander Korolev, redefines the complex political and economic landscape of the Asia-Pacific region. Written by internationally recognized experts from Russia, China, South Korea, Japan, Norway and Singapore, it provides an in-depth analysis of international cooperation in the development of Russia’s Far East and Siberia. It explores the geo-economic and geopolitical standing of ‘Pacific Russia’, and examines both the factors that lie behind, and the mechanisms that allow its integration into Asia. The authors argue that such development is essential for diversifying Russia’s economy, but that this turn to Asia is still inconsistent and would benefit from being truly international and multilateral. The protracted crisis in relations between Russia and the West, they point out, has only made it more significant. This edited volume will appeal to political scientists, economists, scholars of development studies and international relations, and policy-makers.
This work presents a trans-Siberian expedition to rediscover the peoples, cultures and riches of Russia's eastern frontiers. It addresses such questions as: who are the people of the region?; have they a distinct culture?; and does the area have a future as part of the Pacific Rim?
