Thoughts on Asian Community Building

Summary

By now, there is a general global consensus that the world today is in a transitional period of strategic uncertainty. The post-World War II international order is ebbing away. This is not so surprising, since it has been around a long time, and even the post-War baby boomers have begun to retire. But there is still no new clearly discernible world order. It may take another decade or so before the pieces of a new global kaleidoscope fall into place.

What are the changes that have taken place? The most important change is that the fulcrum of global politics and economics has inexorably moved towards Asia. This will inevitably lead to a shift in the existing balance of power. Asian countries will play a much larger — and a more independent — role in world affairs. There is a growing view that the twenty-first century will be dominated by Asia. Maybe it will, or maybe it will not. In any case, there is little doubt that Asia will play a much larger role in global affairs in the twenty-first century.

Like other countries, Russia too has had to readjust its geostrategic perspective to take into account these new realities of the twenty-first century. For centuries, Russia's gaze was towards Europe, with occasional glances towards the east. This is not unnatural since Russia shares with Europe many common cultural and philosophical roots. Generations of Russian leaders have aspired for their country to join Europe. Europe has also posed the biggest security threat to Russia. Over the last couple of centuries, the existential battles for Russia's survival have been fought against European armies — among others, those against Napoleon and Hitler. More recently, it is Europe that was the battleground of the Cold War.

However, Russia cannot do without Asia. The strength and the wealth of Russia come from its eastern domains. Without the strategic depth and the natural resources of Siberia and the Far East, Russia would be a greatly diminished great power.