Russia’s Dilemmas in Response to China’s New Silk Road
This article analyzes the internal and external challenges Russia must deal with in response to China’s New Silk Road (nrs) initiative. In light of the economic transformations the two countries have undergone in recent years, we show that increased trade between them raises very different questions than it did 25 years ago. We then assess the extent to which the nrs could provide leverage for infrastructure development in Russia, as well as the potential risks Russia could face from competition in the post-Soviet space. We look at where Sino-Russian trade may be headed, especially with respect to energy, and conclude by attempting to measure the potential impact of the nrs on economic relations between Russian and the countries of post-Soviet Central Asia.