Thread by @CarnegieEndow

THREAD: The rift between Russia and the West is deepening, and China is exploiting it to expand its influence in Eurasia.

Are Russia and its neighbors becoming a testing ground for a new Beijing-centered regional order? Call it #PaxSinica. @CarnegieEndow takes a deep dive.

Is China using trade, investment, infrastructure projects, and security ties to lay the foundation in Eurasia for a new “Pax Sinica”?

Such a Beijing-centered regional order would cover large swaths of the Eurasian landmass.

China’s rapid rise is feeding fears in Russia that the bilateral relationship is becoming too asymmetrical. The coronavirus pandemic has also exposed deep reservoirs of mutual suspicion at both the elite and popular level. ceip.org/p-80238

However, any hopes for a China-Russia split are misguided. If anything, the relationship will deepen in the wake of the pandemic. Russia will likely rely on economic assistance from China, bringing it one step closer to the establishment of a Pax Sinica. ceip.org/p-81635

Across Eurasia, China is already a key partner for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It is now impossible to imagine the region’s future development without the continued involvement of Beijing. ceip.org/p-81402

Some insist that the preeminent challenge is the ongoing confrontation with Washington. Others suggest Mosocw must maintain an equilibrium with China, which means a reinvigorating the Russian economy and restoring its status as a technological power. ceip.org/p-81702

Still, Beijing’s inroads in Russia and across the vast landmass of Eurasia could have global ramifications, especially for American foreign policy.

Explore the latest analysis by @CarnegieEndow scholars from across our global network: carnegie.ru/specialproject…